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DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY FIELD MANUAL 



THE LAW 
OF 

LAND WARFARE 




DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY • JULY 1956 



FOREWORD 



A list of the treaties relating to the conduct of land warfare which 
have been ratified by the United States, with the abbreviated titles 
used in this Manual, is set forth on page iii. The official English 
texts or a translation of the principal treaty provisions are quoted 
verbatim in bold type in the relevant paragraphs throughout the 
Manual. It should be noted, however, that the official text of the 
Hague Conventions of 18 October 1907 is the French text which must 
be accepted as controlling in the event of a dispute as to the meaning 
of any provision of these particular conventions. (See TM 27-251.) 

The 1949 Geneva Conventions for the Protection of War Victims 
have been ratified by the United States and came into force for this 
country on 2 February 1956. The effect of these four conventions 
upon previous treaties to which the United States is a party is dis- 
cussed in detail in paragraph 5 of the text. Each of the Hague Con- 
ventions of 1899 and 1907 and each of the Geneva Conventions of 
1864, 1906, and 1929 will, of course, continue in force as between the 
United States and such of the other parties to the respective conven- 
tions as have not yet ratified or adhered to the later, superseding 
convention (s) governing the same subject matter. Moreover, even 
though States may not be parties to, or strictly bound by, the 1907 
Hague Conventions and the 1929 Geneva Convention relative to the 
Treatment of Prisoners of War, the general principles of these con- 
ventions have been held declaratory of the customary law of war to 
which (ill States are subject. For this reason, the United States has 
adopted the policy of observing and enforcing the terms of these 
conventions in so far as they have not been superseded by the 1949 
Geneva Conventions which necessarily govern the relations between 
the parties to the latter (see pars. 6 and 7 of the text) . 

The essential provisions of each of the earlier conventions men- 
tioned above have been substantially incorporated into the more 
recent and more comprehensive conventions on the same subject mat- 
ter, so that observance of the latter will usually include observance 
of the former. Tor this reason, only the more recent 1949 Geneva 
Conventions and the relevant provisions of the 1907 Hague Conven- 
tions are quoted in this Manual. 



Pertinent information concerning the current status of ratifica- 
tions, adherences, reservations, and denunciations (withdrawals) will 
be transmitted by higher authority to commanders in the field, as oc- 
casions, arise, thus rendering unnecessary the inclusion of such data 
in this Manual, and avoiding the frequent changes that snch inclusion 
would entail. 

Whenever possible, this Manual should be used in conjunction with 
TM 27-251, Treaties Governing Land Warfare, 

FM 27-5, Civil Affairs/ Military Government, which deals with 
military government policy and administration, should be consulted 
in connection with chapter 6 of the present Manual. 



ABBREVIATIONS 



GWS Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Con- 

dition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in 
the Field, 12 August 1949. 

GWS Sea.: Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condi- 

tion of the Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members 
of Armed Forces at Sea, 12 August 1949. 

GPW Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Pris- 

oners of War, 12 August 1949. 

GC Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civil- 

ian Persons in Time of War, 12 August 1949. 

GPW 19Z9 Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Pris- 

oners of War, 27 July 1929. 

GWS 1929 Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condi- 

tion of the Wounded and Sick of Armies in the Field, 
27 July 1929. 

H, 111 Hague Convention No. Ill Relative to the Opening of 

Hostilities, 18 October 1907. 

H. IV Hague Convention No. IV Respecting the Laws and 

Customs of War on Land, 18 October 1907. 

HR Annex to Hague Convention- No. IV, 18 October 1907, 

embodying the Regulations Respecting the Laws and 
Customs of War on Land. 

H. V Hague Convention No. V Respecting the Rights and 

Duties of Neutral PowerB and Persons in Case of 
War on Land, 18 October 1907. 

H. IX Hague Convention No. IX Concerning Bombardment 

by Naval Forces in Time of War, 18 October 1907. 

H. X Hague Convention No. X for the Adaptation to Mari- 

time Warfare of the Principles of the Geneva Con- 
vention, 18 October 1907. 

Roerich Pad Treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific 

Institutions and Historic . Monuments, 15 April 1935. 

UCMJ Uniform Code of Military Justice (64 Stat. 108; 50 

U. S. C. 551-736). 



iii 



*FM 27-10 



Field Manual 1 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 

No. 27-10 j Washington 25, D. C, 18 July 1956 

THE LAW OF LAND WARFARE 



Paragraphs Page 

Chapteb 1. BASIC RULES AND PRINCIPLES 

Section I. General 1-14 3 

II. Protecting Powers 15-19 12 

Chapteb 2. HOSTILITIES 

Section I, Commencement of hostilities 20-27 15 

II, Forbidden conduct with respect to persons 28-32 17 

III, Forbidden means of waging warfare 33-38 17 

IV, Bombardments, assaults, and sieges 39-47 19 

V. Stratagems... _ _ 48-55 22 

VI. Treatment of property during combat 56-59 23 

Chapteb 3. PRISONERS OF WAR 

Section I. Persons entitled to be treated as prisoners of war; 

retained medical personnel 60-71 25 

II. Persons not entitled to be treated as prisoners of 

war 72-83 31 

III. General protection of prisoners of war 84-92 34 

IV. Beginning of captivity 93-96 37 

V, Internment of prisoners generally 97-100 39 

VI. Quarters, food, and clothing.. 101-105 40 

VII. Hygiene and medical attention 106-109 42 

VIII. Religious, intellectual, and physical activities. 110-114 44 

IX. Discipline 115-118 45 

X. Rank of prisoners of war 119-121 46 

XI, Transfer of prisoners of war 122-124 47 

XII, Labor of prisoners of war 125-133 48 

XIII. Financial resources of prisoners of war 134-144 51 

XIV. Relations of prisoners of war with the exterior. 145-153 55 
XV. Relations of prisoners of war and the authori- 
ties 154-157 60 

XVI. Penal and disciplinary sanctions 158-184 62 

XVII. Termination of captivity 185-202 72 

XVIII. Information bureaus and relief societies for pris- 
oners of war .. 203-207 79 

Chapteh 4. THE WOUNDED AND SICK 

Section I. General provisions 208-214 83 

II. Wounded and sick 215-219 84 

III. Medical units, establishments, personnel and 

transfers- 220-237 87 

IV. The Red Cross emblem 238-245 95 



•ThU tnnnoil »up«rudc« FH 27-10, 1 October 1940. Including C 1, 15 November 1944. 

1 



Paragraph! Page 

Chapteb 5. CIVILIAN PERSONS 

Section I. General provisions 246-251 98 

II. General protection of populations against cer- 
tain consequences of war 252-265 100 

III. Provisions common to the territories of the 

parties to the conflict and to occupied terri- 
tories. 266-273 106 

IV. Aliens in the territory of a party to the conflict. 274-285 108 
V. Regulations for the treatment of internees 286-342 112 

VI. Information bureaus, central agency, and relief 

societies 343-350 134 

Chapteb 6. OCCUPATION 

Section I. General 351-361 138 

II. Administration of occupied territory 362-378 141 

III. Rights of the -population of occupied territory. 379-387 144 

IV, Relief 388-392 147 

V, Treatment of enemy property 393-417 148 

VI. Services of inhabitants and of officials 418-424 154 

VII. Public finance 425-431 156 

VIII. Security of the occupant: penal legislation and 

procedure 432-448 158 

Chapteb 7. NONHOSTILE RELATIONS OF BELLIG- 
ERENTS 

Section I. General 449-453 165 

II. Military passports, safe-conducts, and safe- 
guards 454-457 165 

III. Parlementaires 458-468 167 

IV. Cartels 469 169 

V. Capitulations 470-478 169 

VI. Armistices _ 479-494 172 

Chapteb 8. REMEDIES FOR VIOLATION OF INTER- 
NATIONAL LAW; WAR CRIMES 

Section I. Remedies and reprisals 495-497 176 

II. Crimes under international law 498-504 178 

III. Punishment of war crimes 505-508 180 

IV. Defenses not available 509-511 182 

Chaptbb 9. NEUTRALITY 

Section I, General 512-521 184 

II. Recruiting in neutral territory 522-524 186 

III. Supplies and services from neutral territory 525-531 187 

IV. Internment of belligerent forces and tending of 

wounded and sick in neutral territory 532-546 188 

V. Neutral persons 547-551 191 

VI. Railway material 552 192 

Appendix: INDEX OF ARTICLES OF THE 1949 GENEVA CON- 
VENTIONS AND THE 1907 HAGUE CONVEN- 
TIONS 194 

Index 198 



2 



CHAPTER 1 
BASIC RULES AND PRINCIPLES 



Section I. GENERAL 

1. Purpose and Scope 

The purpose of this Manual is to provide authoritative guidance 
to military personnel on the customary and treaty law applicable to 
the conduct of warfare on land and to relationships between bel- 
ligerents and neutral States. Although certain of the legal principles 
set forth herein have application to warfare at sea and in the air as 
well as to hostilities on land, this Manual otherwise concerns itself 
with the rules peculiar to naval and aerial warfare only to the extent 
that such rules have some direct bearing on the activities of land 
forces. 

This Manual is an official publication of the United States Army. 
However, those provisions of the Manual which are neither statutes 
nor the text of treaties to which the United States is a party should 
not be considered binding upon courts and tribunals applying the 
law of war. However, such provisions are of evidentiary value inso- 
far as they bear upon questions of custom and practice. 

2. Purposes of the Law of War 

The conduct of armed hostilities on land is regulated by the law 
of land warfare which is both written and unwritten. It is inspired 
by the desire to diminish the evils of war by : 

a. Protecting both combatants and noncombatants from unneces- 
sary suffering; 

b. Safeguarding certain fundamental human rights of persons who 
fall into the hands of the enemy, particularly prisoners of war, the 
wounded and sick, and civilians; and 

c. Facilitating the restoration of peace. 

3. Basic Principles 

a. Prohibitory Effect. The law of war places limits on the exercise 
of a belligerent's power in the interests mentioned in paragraph 2 and 
requires that belligerents refrain from employing any kind or degree 
of violence which is not actually necessary for military purposes and 
that they conduct hostilities with regard for the principles of 
humanity and chivalry. 



3 



The prohibitory effect of the law of war is not minimized by "mili- 
tary necessity" which has been defined as that principle which justifies 
those measures not forbidden by international law which are indis- 
pensable for securing the complete submission of the enemy as soon 
as possible. Military necessity has been generally rejected as a de- 
fense for acts forbidden by the customary and conventional laws of 
war inasmuch as the latter have been developed and framed with 
consideration for the concept of military necessity. 

b. Binding on States and Individuals. The law of war is binding 
not only upon States as such but also upon individuals and, in par- 
ticular, the members of their armed forces. 

4. Sources 

The law of war is derived from two principal sources: 

a. Lawmaking Treaties (or Conventions) , such as the Hague and 
Geneva Conventions. 

5. Custom. Although some of the law of war has not been incorpo- 
rated in any treaty or convention to which the United States is a 
party, this body of unwritten or customary law is firmly established 
by the custom of nations and well defined by recognized authorities 
on international law. 

Lawmaking treaties may be compared with legislative enactments 
in the national law of the United States and the customary law of 
war with the unwritten Anglo-American common law. 

5. Lawmaking Treaties 

a. Treaties to Which the United States Is a Party. The United 
States is a party to the following conventions pertinent to warfare on 
land : 

(1) Hague Convention No. Ill of 18 October 1907, Relative 
to the Opening of Hostilities (36 Stat. 1 8259, Treaty Series 

538) , cited herein as H. III. 

(2) Hague Convention No. IV of 18 October 1907, Respecting 
the Laws and Customs of War on Land (36 Stat. 2277; 
Treaty Series 539), cited herein as H. IV, and the Annex 
thereto, embodying the Regulations Respecting the Laws 
and Customs of War on Land (36 Stat. 2295; Treaty Series 

539) , cited herein as BR. 

(3) Hague Convention No. V of 18 October 1907, Respecting 
the Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers and Persons in 
Case of War on Land (36 Stat. 2310; Treaty Series 540), 
cited herein as H. V. 



i United Statet Statute! at Large. 



4 



(4) Hague Convention No. IX of 18 October 1907, Concerning 
Bombardment by Naval Forces in Time of War (36 Stat. 
2351; Treaty Series 51$), cited herein as H. JX. 

(5) Hague Convention No. X of 18 October 1907, for the 
Adaptation to Maritime Warfare of the Principles of the 
Geneva Convention (36 Stat. 2371; Treaty Series No. 543), 
cited herein as H. X. 

(6) Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prison- 
ers of War of 27 July 1929 (47 Stat. 2021; Treaty Series 
846) , cited herein as GPW 1929. 

(7) Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condi- 
dition of the Wounded and Sick of Armies in the Field of 
27 July 1929 (47 Stat, 2074; Treaty Series 847) , cited herein 
as GWS 1929. 

(8) Treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Insti- 
tions and Historic Monuments of 15 April 1935 (49 Stat. 
3267; Treaty Series 899), cited herein as the Roerich 
Pact. Only the United States and a number of the Ameri- 
can Republics are parties to this treaty. 

(9) Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition 
of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field of 
12 August 1949 (T. I. A. S* 3362), cited herein as GWS. 

(10) Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition 
of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed 
Forces at Sea of 12 August 1949 (T. I. A. S. 3363), cited 
herein as GWS Sea. 

(11) Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prison- 
ers of War of 12 August 1949 (T. /. A. S. 3364), cited 
herein as GPW. 

(12) Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian 
Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 (T. I. A. S. 
3365) , cited herein as GC. 

b. Effect of the Geneva Convention of 1949. GWS replaces the 
previous Geneva Wounded and Sick Conventions of 22 August 1864, 
6 July 1906, and 27 July 1929 in relations between parties to GWS 
(see GWS, art. 59). GWS Sea replaces Hague Convention No. X 
of 18 October 1907, for the Adaptation to Maritime Warfare of 
the Principles of the Geneva Convention of 1906 in relations between 
parties to GWS Sea (see GWS Sea, art. 58). GPW replaces GPW 
1929 in relations between parties to GPW (see GPW, art 134) ; in 
relations between parties to S. IV and the corresponding convention 
of 1899 and which are also parties to GPW, it is complementary 

! Treaties and Otber International Acts Series. 



5 



to Chapter II of the HR (see GPW, art. 135). GO, in relations be- 
tween parties to H. IV and the corresponding convention of 1899, is 
supplementary to Sections II and III of the HR (see GO, art. 15£). 

6. Custom 

Evidence of the customary law of war, arising from the general 
consent of States, may be found in judicial decisions, the writings of 
jurists, diplomatic correspondence, and other documentary material 
concerning the practice of States. Even though individual States 
may not be parties to or otherwise strictly bound by H. IV and GPW 
1929, the former convention and the general principles of the latter 
have been held to be declaratory of the customary law of war, to which 
all States are subject. 

The Preamble to the HR specifically provides: 

Until a more complete code of the laws of war has been issued, 
the High Contracting Parties deem it expedient to declare that, 
in cases not included in the Regulations adopted by them, the 
inhabitants and the belligerents remain under the protection and 
the rule of the principles of the law of nations, as they result 
from the usages established among civilized peoples, from the 
laws of humanity, and the dictates of the public conscience. 

Similarly, a common article of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (GWS, 
art. 68; GWS Sea, art. 62; GPW, art. U2; GO, art. 158) provides 
that the denunciation of (withdrawal from) any of the Geneva Con- 
ventions of 1949, * * * shall in no way impair the obligations which 
the Parties to the conflict shall remain bound to fulfil by virtue 
of the principles of the law of nations, as they result from the 
usages established among civilized peoples, from the laws of 
humanity and the dictates of the public conscience. 

7, Force of the Law of War 

a. Technical Force of Treaties and Position of the United States. 
Technically, each of the lawmaking treaties regarding the conduct 
of warfare is, to the extent established by its terms, binding only 
between the States that have ratified or acceded to, and have not 
thereafter denounced (withdrawn from), the treaty or convention and 
is binding only to the extent permitted by the reservations, if any, 
that have accompanied such ratification or accession on either side. 
The treaty provisions quoted in this manual in bold-face type are con- 
tained in treaties which have been ratified without reservation, except 
as otherwise noted, by the United States. 

These treaty provisions are in large part but formal and specific 
applications of general 'principles of the unwritten law. While 
solemnly obligatory only as between the parties thereto, they may be 
said also to represent modern international public opinion as to how 



6 



belligerents and neutrals should conduct themselves in the particulars 
indicated. 

For these reasons, the treaty provisions quoted herein will be strictly 
observed and enforced by United States forces without regard to 
whether they are legally binding upon this country. Military com- 
manders will be instructed which, if any, of the written rules herein 
quoted are not legally binding as between the United States and each 
of the States immediately concerned, and which, if any, for that 
reason are not for the time being to be observed or enforced. 

b. Force of Treaties Under the Constitution. Under the Constitu- 
tion of the United States, treaties constitute part of the "supreme 
Law of the Land" (art. VI, clause 2). In consequence, treaties re- 
lating to the law of war have a force equal to that of laws enacted 
by the Congress. Their provisions must be observed by both military 
and civilian personnel with the same strict regard for both the letter 
and spirit of the law which is required with respect to the Constitu- 
tion and statutes enacted in pursuance thereof. 

c. Force of Customary Law. The unwritten or customary law of 
war is binding upon all nations. It will be strictly observed by 
United States forces, subject only to such exceptions as shall have 
been directed by competent authority by way of legitimate reprisals 
for illegal conduct of the enemy (see par. 497). The customary law 
of war is part of the law of the United States and, insofar as it is 
not inconsistent with any treaty to which this country is a party 
or with a controlling executive or legislative act, is binding upon the 
United States, citizens of the United States, and other persons serving 
this country. 

8. Situations to Which Law of War Applicable 

a. Types of Hostilities. War may be defined as a legal condition 
of armed hostility between States. While it is usually accompanied 
by the commission of acts of violence, a state of war may exist prior 
to or subsequent to the use of force. The outbreak of war is usually 
accompanied by a declaration of war (see par. 20). 

Instances of armed conflict without declaration of war may include, 
but are not necessarily limited to, the exercise of armed force pur- 
suant to a recommendation, decision, or call by the United Nations, 
in the exercise of the inherent right of individual or collective self- 
defense against armed attack, or in the performance of enforcement 
measures through a regional arrangement, or otherwise, in conformity 
with appropriate provisions of the United Nations Charter. 

b. Customary Law. The customary law of war applies to all cases 
of declared war or any other armed conflict which may arise between 
the United States and other nations, even if the state of war is not 
recognized by one of them. The customary law is also applicable 



7 



to all cases of occupation of foreign territory by the exercise of armed 
force, even if the occupation meets with no armed resistance. 

c. Treaties. Treaties governing land- warfare are applicable to 
various forms of war and armed conflict as provided by their terms. 
The Hague Conventions apply to "war." Common Articled of the 
Geneva Conventions of 1949 states : 

In addition to the provisions which shall be implemented in 
peacetime, the present Convention shall apply to all cases of de- 
clared war or of any other armed conflict which may arise be- 
tween two or more of the High Contracting Parties, even if the 
state of war is not recognized by one of them. 

The Convention shall also apply to all cases of partial or total 
occupation of the territory of a High Contracting Party, even if 
the said occupation meets with no armed resistance. 

Although one of the Powers in conflict may not be a party to 
the present Convention, the Powers who are parties thereto shall 
remain bound by it in their mutual relations. They shall further- 
more be bound by the Convention in relation to the said Power, 
if the latter accepts and applies the provisions thereof. (GWS, 
GWS Sea, GPW, GC, art. 2.) 

d. Special Case of Civil Wars. See paragraph 11. 

9. Applicability of Law of Land Warfare in Absence of a Declaration 

of War 

As the customary law of war applies to cases of international armed 
conflict and to the forcible occupation of enemy territory generally 
as well as to declared war in its strict sense, a declaration of war is 
not an essential condition of the application of this body of law. 
Similarly, treaties relating to "war" may become operative notwith- 
standing the absence of a formal declaration of war. 

10. When Law of Land Warfare Ceases To Be Applicable 

The law of land warfare generally ceases to be applicable upon: 

a. The termination of a war by agreement, normally in the form 
of a treaty of peace ; or 

b. The termination of a war by unilateral declaration of one of the 
parties, provided the other party does not continue hostilities or other- 
wise decline to recognize the act of its enemy ; or 

c. The complete subjugation of an enemy State and its allies, if 
prior to a or b; or 

d. The termination of a declared war or armed conflict by simple 
cessation of hostilities. 

However, certain designated provisions of the Geneva Conventions 
of 1949 (see GC, art. 6/ par 249 herein) continue to be operative, not- 



8 



withstanding the termination of any antecedent hostilities, during 
the continuance of a military occupation. Insofar as the unwritten 
law of war and the Hague Regulations extend certain fundamental 
safeguards to the persons and property of the populations of occupied 
territory, their protection continues until the termination of any occu- 
pation having its origin in the military supremacy of the occupant, 
notwithstanding the fact the Geneva Convention relative to the Pro- 
tection of Civilian Persons may have ceased to be applicable. 

11. Civil War 

a. Customary Law. The customary law of war becomes applicable 
to civil war upon recognition of the rebels as belligerents. 
6. Geneva Conventions of 191$. 

In the case of armed conflict not of an international character 
occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, 
each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, 
the following provisions: 

(1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including 
members of armed forces who have laid down their arms 
and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, 
detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances 
be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction 
founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or 
wealth, or any other similar criteria. 

To this end, the following acts are and shall remain pro- 
hibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with re- 
spect to the above-mentioned persons: 

(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all 
kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture; 

(b) taking of hostages; 

(c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliat- 
ing and degrading treatment; 

(d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of execu- 
tions without previous judgment pronounced by a regu- 
larly constituted court, affording all the judicial guar- 
antees which are recognized as indispensable by civil- 
ized peoples. 

(2) The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for. 
An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International 

Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties 
to the conflict:' 

The Parties to the conflict should further endeavour to bring 
into force, by means of special agreements, all or part of the other 
provisions of the present Convention. 



9 



The application of the preceding provisions shall not affect 
the legal status of the Parties to the conflict ( GWS, GPW, GWS, 
Sea, GO, art. 3.) 

12. Military Government and Martial Law Distinguished 

In the practice of the United States, military government is the 
form of administration which may be established and maintained for 
the government of areas of the following types that have been sub- 
jected to military occupation : 

a. Enemy territory. 

b. Allied territory recovered from enemy occupation, when that 
territory has not been made the subject of a civil affairs agreement 
{see par. 354). 

c. Other territory liberated from the enemy, such as neutral terri- 
tory and areas unlawfully incorporated by the enemy into its own 
territory, when that territory has not been made the subject of a civil 
affairs agreement. 

d. Domestic territory recovered from rebels treated as belligerents. 
Although military government is an accepted concept in the law of 

the United States, the limits placed upon its exercise are prescribed 
by the international law of belligerent occupation. Other countries 
exercise jurisdiction in occupied areas through types of administra- 
tion analogous to military government even though they may be desig- 
nated by other names. 

In the United States, martial law is the temporary government 
of the civil population of domestic territory through the military 
forces, without the authority of written law, as necessity may require. 
The most prominent distinction between military government, as that 
term is used herein, and martial law is that the former is generally 
exercised in the territory of, or territory formerly occupied by, a 
hostile belligerent and is subject to restraints imposed by the inter- 
national law of belligerent occupation, while the latter is invoked 
only in domestic territory, the local government and inhabitants of 
which are not treated or recognized as belligerents, and is governed 
solely by the domestic law of the United States. 

So far as the United States forces are concerned, military govern- 
ment and martial law are exercised by the military commander under 
the direction of the President, as Commander in Chief of the Armed 
Forces. 

13. Military Jurisdiction 

Military jurisdiction is of two kinds: first, that which is conferred 
by that branch of a country's municipal law which regulates its mili- 
tary establishment ; second, that which is derived from international 
law, including the law of war. 



10 



In the Army of the United States, military jurisdiction is exercised 
through the following military tribunals : 

a. Courts-martial. 

b. Military commissions. 

c. Provost courts. 

d. Other military tribunals. 

While general courts-martial have concurrent jurisdiction with 
military commissions, provost courts, and other types of military 
tribunals to try any offender who by the law of war is subject to trial 
by military tribunals {UCMJ, art. 18) , it has generally been held that 
military commissions and similar tribunals have no jurisdiction of 
such purely military offenses specified in the Uniform Code of Mili- 
tary Justice as are expressly made punishable by sentence of court- 
martial {except where the military commission is also given ex- 
press statutory authority over the offense (UCMJ, arts. 10 %, 106)). 
In practice, offenders who are not subject to the Uniform Code of 
Military Justice but who by the law of war are subject to trial by 
military tribunals, are tried by military commissions, provost courts, 
or other forms of military tribunals. 

In areas occupied by United States forces, military jurisdiction 
over individuals, other than members of the Armed Forces, who are 
charged with violating legislation or orders of the occupant is usually 
exercised by military government courts. Although sometimes desig- 
nated by other names, these tribunals are actually military commis- 
sions. , They sit in and for the occupied area and thus exercise their 
jurisdiction on a territorial basis. 

14. Dissemination of the 1949 Geneva Conventions 

a. Wounded and Sick Convention; Wounded and Sick at Sea Con- 
vention. 

The High Contracting Parties undertake, in time of peace as 
in time of war, to disseminate the text of the present Convention 
as widely as possible in their respective countries, and, in par- 
ticular, to include the study thereof in their programmes of mili- 
tary and, if possible, civil instruction, so that the principles 
thereof may become known to the entire population, in particular 
to the armed fighting forces, the medical personnel and the 
chaplains. {GWS, art. 47, GWS Sea, art. 48.) 

b. Prisoners of War Convention. 

The High Contracting Parties undertake, in time of peace as 
in time of war, to disseminate the text of the present Convention 
as widely as possible in their respective countries, and, in par- 
ticular, to include the study thereof in their programmes of mili- 
tary and, if possible, civil instruction, so that the principles there- 
of may become known to all their armed forces and to the entire 
population. 



11 



Any military or other authorities, who in time of war assume 
responsibilities in respect of prisoners of war, must possess the 
text of the Convention and be specially instructed as to its 
provisions. (GPW, art. 127.) 

c. Civilians Convention. 

The High Contracting Parties undertake, in time of peace as 
in time of war, to disseminate the text of the present Convention 
as widely as possible in their respective countries, and, in par- 
ticular, to include the study thereof in their programmes of mili- 
tary and, if possible, civil instruction, so that the principles 
thereof may become known to the entire population. 

Any civilian, military, police or other authorities, who in time 
of war assume responsibilities in respect of protected persons, 
must possess the text of the Convention and be specially in- 
structed as to its provisions. {CC, art. 144-) 

Section II. PROTECTING . POWERS 

15. Protecting Powers 

The Geneva Conventions of 1949 contain certain common provi- 
sions regarding the safeguarding of the interests of the belligerents 
by nations designated as "Protecting Powers." These provisions are 
set forth in the following paragraphs. 

16. Functions of Protecting Powers 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The present Convention shall be applied with the cooperation 
and under the scrutiny of the Protecting Powers whose duty it 
is to safeguard the interests of the Parties to the conflict. For 
this purpose, the Protecting Powers may appoint, apart from 
their diplomatic or consular staff, delegates from amongst their 
own nationals or the nationals of other neutral Powers. The said 
delegates shall be subject to the approval of the Power with 
which they are to carry out their duties. 

The Parties to the conflict shall facilitate to the greatest extent 
possible, the task of the representatives or delegates of the Pro* 
tectirig Powers. 

The representatives or delegates of the Protecting Powers shall 
not in any case exceed their mission under the present Conven- 
tion. They shall, in particular, take account of the imperative 
necessities of security of the State wherein they carry out their 
duties. (GWS, art. 8; GWS Sea, art. 8; OPW, art 8; GC, art. 9.) 

b. Article 8, GWS and GWS Sea, contains the following additional 
provision : 

Their activities shall only be restricted as an exceptional and 
temporary measure when this is rendered necessary by imperative 
military necessities. 



12 



Except as specifically provided otherwise by GPW and GC, the ac- 
tivities of representatives or delegates of the Protecting Powers under 
these conventions may not be restricted even in case of imperative 
military necessity. 

17. Activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross 

The provisions of the present Convention^] constitute no 
obstacle to the humanitarian activities which the International 
Committee of the Red Cross or any other impartial humanitarian 
organization may, subject to the consent of the Parties to the con- 
flict concerned, undertake for the protection of [persons pro- 
tected by the convention] and for their relief. (GWS art. 9; 
GWS Sea, art. 9/ GPW, art. 9; GO, art. 10.) 

18. Substitutes for Protecting Powers 

The High Contracting Parties may at any time agree to entrust 
to an organization which offers all guarantees of impartiality 
and efficacy the duties incumbent on the Protecting Powers by 
virtue of the present Convention. 

When * * * [persons protected by the convention] do not 
benefit or cease to benefit, no matter for what reason, by the 
activities of a Protecting Power or of an organization provided 
for in the first paragraph above, the Detaining Power shall 
request a neutral State, or such, an organization, to undertake 
the functions performed under the present Convention by a Pro- 
tecting Power designated by the Parties to a conflict. 

If protection cannot be arranged accordingly, the Detaining 
Power shall request or shall accept, subject to the provisions of 
this Article, the offer of the services of a humanitarian organiza- 
tion, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, to 
assume the humanitarian functions performed by Protecting 
Powers under the present Convention. 

Any neutral Power, or any organization invited by the Power 
concerned or offering itself for these purposes, shall be required 
to act with a sense of responsibility towards the Party to the 
conflict on which persons protected by the present Convention 
depend, and shall be required to furnish sufficient assurances 
that it is in a position to undertake the appropriate functions and 
to discharge them impartially. 

No derogation from the preceding provisions shall be made by 
special agreements between Powers one of which is restricted, 
even temporarily, in its freedom to negotiate with the other Power 
or its allies by reason of military events, more particularly where 
the whole, or a substantial part, of the territory of the said Power 
is occupied. 



684524 0-63— 2 



13 



Whenever, in the present Convention, mention is made of a 
Protecting Power, such mention also applies to substitute or- 
ganizations in the sense of the present Article. (GWS, art. 10; 
GWS Sea, art. 10; GPW, art. 10; GG, art. 11.) 

19. Conciliation Procedure 

In cases where they deem it advisable in the interest of pro- 
tected persons, particularly in cases of disagreement between 
Parties to the conflict as to the application or interpretation of 
the provisions of the present Convention, the Protecting Powers 
shall lend their good offices with a view to settling the disagree- 
ment. 

For this purpose, each of the Protecting Powers may, either 
at the invitation of one Party or on its own initiative, propose 
to the Parties to the conflict a meeting of their representatives, 
in particular of the authorities responsible for * * * [persons 
protected by the convention] possibly on neutral territory suit- 
ably chosen. The Parties to the conflict shall be bound to give 
effect to the proposals made to them for this purpose. The Pro- 
tecting Powers may, if necessary, propose for approval by 
the Parties to the conflict, a person belonging to a neutral Power 
or delegated by the International Committee of the Red Cross, 
who shall be invited to take part in such a meeting. (GWS, art. 
11; GWS Sea, art. 11; GPW, art. 11; GC, art. 12.) 



14 



CHAPTER 2 
HOSTILITIES 



Section I. COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES 

20. Declaration of War Required 

a. Treaty Provision, 

The Contracting Powers recognize that hostilities between 
themselves must not commence without previous and explicit 
warning, in the form either of a reasoned declaration of war or 
of an ultimatum with conditional declaration of war. (H. Ill, 
art. 1.) 

I. Surprise Still Possible. Nothing in the foregoing rule requires 
that any particular length of time shall elapse between a declaration 
of war and the commencement of hostilities. 

21 . Notification to Neutrals 

The existence of a state of war must be notified to the neutral 
Powers without delay, and shall not take effect in regard to them 
until after the receipt of a notification, which may, however, be 
given by telegraph. Neutral Powers, nevertheless, cannot rely 
on the absence of notification if it is clearly established that they 
were in fact aware of the existence of a state of war. (27. ///, 
art. 2.) 

22. When Articles of Hague Convention No. Ill Effective Between Parties 
Article I of the present Convention shall take effect in case' of 

war between two or more of the Contracting Powers. 

Article II is binding as between a belligerent Power which is 
a party to the Convention and neutral Powers which are also 
parties to the Convention. (H. Ill, art. 3.) 

23. Present Effect of Foregoing Rules 

The Charter of the United Nations makes illegal the threat or use of 
force contrary to the purpose of the United Nations. It requires mem- 
bers of tlie organization to bring about by peaceful means adjustment 
or settlement of international disputes or situations which might 
lead to a breach of the peace. However, a nonmember nation or a 
member nation which violates these provisions of the Charter com- 
mits a further breach of international law by commencing hostilities 
without a declaration of war or a conditional ultimatum as required 
by the foregoing articles of Hague Convention No. III. Conversely, 



15 



a State which resorts to war in violation of the Charter will not render 
its acts of aggression or breach of the peace any the less unlawful by 
formally declaring war. 

24. Constitutional Provision 

Article 1, section 8, clause 11, of the United States Constitution pro- 
vides that "The Congress shall have power * * * to declare War." 
The law of war may, however, be applicable to an international con- 
flict, notwithstanding the absence of a declaration by the Congress. 
(See pars. 8 and 9, concerning the situations to which the law of war 
has application.) 

25. Enemy Status of Civilians 

Under the law of the United States, one of the consequences of the 
existence of a condition of war between two States is that every na- 
tional of the one State becomes an enemy of every national of the 
other. However, it is a generally recognized rule of international law 
that civilians must not be made the object of attack directed exclu- 
sively against them. 

26. Effect on Enemy Aliens 

Enemy aliens located or resident in United States territory are not 
necessarily made prisoners or interned en masse on the breaking out 
of hostilities. Such persons may be allowed to leave the United 
States if their departure is consistent with national interest (GO, 
art. 35; par. 274 herein). If the security of the United States makes 
it absolutely necessary, enemy aliens may be placed in assigned resi- 
dence or internment ( GO, art. par. 281 herein) . Measures of con- 
trol are normally taken with respect to at least persons known to be 
active or reserve members of a hostile army, persons who would be 
liable to service in the enemy forces, and persons who it is expected 
would furnish information or other aid to a hostile State. (See ch. 
V, sec. IV, concerning the treatment of aliens in the territory of a 
party to the conflict.) 

27. Expulsion 

In modern practice at the outbreak of hostilities the expulsion of 
the citizens or subjects of the enemy is generally decreed from sea- 
ports, the area surrounding airbases, airports, and fortified places, 
areas of possible attack, and the actual or contemplated theaters of 
operation. When expulsion is decreed, the persons expelled should 
be given such reasonable notice, consistent with public safety, as will 
enable them to arrange for the collection, disposal, and removal of 
their goods and property and for the settlement of their personal 
affairs. Such persons do not, however, benefit from the provisions 
of Articles 41 through 45, GO (pars. 280-284). 



16 



Section II. FORBIDDEN CONDUCT WITH RESPECT TO PERSONS 

28. Refusal of Quarter 

It is especially forbidden * * * to declare that no quarter will 
be given, (HR, art. 23, par. (d).) 

29. Injury Forbidden After Surrender 

It is especially forbidden * * * to kill or wound an enemy who, 
having laid down his arms, or having no longer means of defense, 
has surrendered at discretion. (HR, art. 23, par. (c).) 

30. Persons Descending by Parachute 

The law of war does not prohibit firing upon paratroops or other 
persons who are or appear to be bound upon hostile missions while 
such persons are descending by parachute. Persons other than those 
mentioned in the preceding sentence who are descending by para- 
chute from disabled aircraft may not be fired upon. 

31. Assassination and Outlawry 

HR provides : 

It is especially forbidden * * * to kill or wound treacherously 
individuals belonging to the hostile nation or army. {HR, art. S3, 
par. (b).) 

This article is construed as prohibiting assassination, proscription, 
or outlawry of an enemy, or putting a price upon an enemy's head, as 
well as offering a reward for an enemy "dead or alive". It does not, 
however, preclude attacks on individual soldiers or officers of the 
enemy whether in the zone of hostilities, occupied territory, or else- 
where. 

32. Nationals Not To Be Compelled to Take Part in Operations Against 

Their Own Country 

A belligerent is likewise forbidden to compel the nationals of 
the hostile party to take part in the operations of war directed 
against their own country, even if they were in the belligerent's 
service before the commencement of the war. (HR, art. 83, 2d 
par.) 

Section III. FORBIDDEN MEANS OF WAGING WARFARE 

33. Means of ln|uring the Enemy Limited 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The right of belligerents to adopt means of injuring the enemy 
is not unlimited. (HR, art. 22.) 

6. The means employed are definitely restricted by international 
declarations and conventions and by the laws and usages of war. 



17 



34. Employment of Arms Causing Unnecessary Injury 

a. Treaty Provision. 

It is especially forbidden * * * to employ arms, projectiles, or 
material calculated to cause unnecessary suffering. (HE, art. S3, 
par. (e).) 

b. Interpretation. What weapons cause "unnecessary injury" can 
only be determined in light of the practice of States in refraining 
from the use of a given weapon because it is believed to have that 
effect. The prohibition certainly does not extend to the use of ex- 
plosives contained in artillery projectiles, mines, rockets, or hand 
grenades. Usage has, however, established the illegality of the use 
of lances with barbed heads, irregular-shaped bullets, and projectiles 
filled with glass, the use of any substance on bullets that would tend 
unnecessarily to inflame a wound inflicted by them, and the scoring 
of the surface or the filing off of the ends of the hard cases of bullets. 

35. Atomic Weapons 

The use of explosive "atomic weapons," whether by air, sea, or 
land forces, cannot as such be regarded as violative of international 
law in the absence of any customary rule of international law or in- 
ternational convention restricting their employment. 

36. Weapons Employing Fire 

The use of weapons which employ fire, such as tracer ammunition, 
flamethrowers, napalm and other incendiary agents, against targets 
requiring their use is not violative of international law. They should 
not, however, be employed in such a way as to cause unnecessary 
suffering to individuals. 

37. Poison 

a. Treaty Provision. 

It is especially forbidden * * * to employ poison or poisoned 
weapons. (HE, art. 23, par. (a).) 

6. Discussion of Rule. The foregoing rule does not prohibit meas- 
ures being taken to dry up springs, to divert rivers and aqueducts 
from their courses, or to destroy, through chemical or bacterial agents 
harmless to man, crops intended solely for consumption by the armed 
forces (if that fact can be determined). 

38. Gases, Chemicals, and Bacteriological Warfare 

The United States is not a party to any treaty, now in force, that 
prohibits or restricts the use in warfare of toxic or nontoxic gases, of 
smoke or incendiary materials, or of bacteriological warfare. A 
treaty signed at Washington, 6 Febuary 1922, on behalf of the United 
States, the British Empire, France, Italy, and Japan (3 Malloy, 
Treaties 3116) contains a provision (art. V) prohibiting "The use in 



18 



war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and all analogous 
liquids, materials, or devices," but that treaty was expressly condi- 
tioned to become effective only upon ratification by all of the signa- 
tory powers, and, not having been ratified by all of the signatories, 
has never become effective. The Geneva Protocol "for the prohibition 
of the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous, or other gases, and of 
bacteriological methods of warfare," signed on 17 June 1925, on behalf 
of the United States and many other powers (94- League of Nations 
Treat]/ Series 65) , has been ratified or adhered to by and is now effec- 
tive between a considerable number of States. However, the United 
States Senate has refrained from giving its advice and consent to the 
ratification of the Protocol by the United States, and it is accordingly 
not binding on this country. 

Section IV. BOMBARDMENTS, ASSAULTS, AND SIEGES 

39. Bombardment of Undefended Places Forbidden 

The attack or bombardment, by whatever means, of towns, vil- 
lages, dwellings, or buildings which are undefended is prohibited. 

(Hfi, art. £5.) 

40. Defended Place Defined 

Investment, bombardment, assault, and siege have always been 
recognized as legitimate means of land warfare. Defended places 
in the sense of Article 25, HR, include : 

a. A fort or fortified place. 

b. A city or town surrounded by detached defense positions, which 
is considered jointly with such defense positions as an indivisible 
whole. 

c. A place which is occupied by a combatant military force or 
through which such a force is passing. The occupation of such a 
place by medical units alone is not sufficient to make it a defended 
place. 

Factories producing munitions and military supplies, military 
camps, warehouses storing munitions and military supplies, ports 
and railroads being used for the transportation of military supplies, 
and other places devoted to the support of military operations or the 
accommodation of troops may also be attacked and bombarded even 
though they are not defended. 

41. Unnecessary Killing and Devastation 

Particularly in the circumstances referred to in the preceding para- 
graph, loss of life and damage to property must not be out of pro- 
portion to the military advantage to be gained. Once a fort or de- 
fended locality has surrendered, only such further damage is per- 
mitted as is demanded by the exigencies of war, such as the removal 



19 



of fortifications, demolition of military buildings, and destruction of 
stores {GO, art. 147; par. 502 herein) . 

42. Aerial Bombardment 

There is no prohibition of general application against bombard- 
ment from the air of combatant troops, defended places, or other 
legitimate military objectives. 

43. Notice of Bombardment 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The officer in command of an attacking force must, before 
commencing a bombardment, except in cases of assault, do all in 
his power to warn the authorities. (HR, art. 26.) 

i. Application of Rule. This rule is understood to refer only to 
bombardments of places where parts of the civil population remain. 

<?. When Warning is To Be Given. Even when belligerents are 
not subject to the above treaty, tlie commanders of United States 
ground forces will, when the situation permits, inform the enemy of 
their intention to bombard a place, so that the noncombatants, espe- 
cially the women and children, may be removed before the bombard- 
ment commences. 

44. Treatment of Inhabitants of Invested Area 

a. General Population. The commander of the investing force has 
the right to forbid all communications and access between the besieged 
place and the outside. However, Article 17, GO (par. 256), requires 
that belligerents endeavor to conclude local agreements for the re- 
moval from besieged or encircled areas of wounded, sick, infirm, and 
aged persons, children and maternity cases, and for the passage of 
ministers of all religions, medical personnel, and medical equipment 
on their way to such areas. Provision is also made in Article 23 of 
the same Convention (par. 262) for the passage of consignments of 
medical and hospital stores and objects necessary for the religious 
worship of civilians and of essential foodstuffs, clothing, and tonics 
intended for children under 15, expectant mothers, and maternity 
cases. 

Subject to the foregoing exceptions, there is no rule of law which 
compels the commander of an investing force to permit noncom- 
batants to leave a besieged locality. It is within the discretion of 
the besieging commander whether he will permit noncombatants to 
leave and under what conditions. Thus, if a commander of a besieged 
place expels the noncombatants in order to lessen the logistical burden 
lie has to bear, it is lawful, though an extreme measure, to drive them 
back, so as to hasten the surrender. Persons who attempt to leave 
or enter a besieged place without obtaining the necessary permission 
are liable to be fired upon, sent back, or detained. 



20 



b. Diplomatic and Consular Personnel. Diplomatic and consular 
personnel of a neutral State should not be prevented from leaving 
a besieged place before hostilities commence, but this privilege can- 
not be claimed while hostilities are in progress. Should they volun- 
tarily decide to remain, they must undergo the same risks as other 
inhabitants. 

45. Buildings and Areas To Be Protected 

a. Buildings To Be Spared. 

In sieges and bombardments all necessary measures must be 
taken to spare, as far as possible, buildings dedicated to religion, 
art, science, or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals, 
and places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided 
they are not being used at the time for military purposes. 

It is the duty of the besieged to indicate the presence of such 
buildings or places by distinctive and visible signs, which shall 
be notified to the enemy beforehand. {HR, art. 27.) (See also 
GO, arts. 18 and 19; pars. 257 and 258 herein, dealing with the identi- 
fication and protection of civilian hospitals.) 

b. Areas To Be Protected. In order to protect buildings used 
for medical purposes from being accidentally hit, it is desirable that 
the wounded and sick should, if possible, be concentrated in an area 
remote from military objectives or in an area neutralized by arrange- 
ment with the enemy. See GC, arts. 1$, 18, and 19; pars. 253, 257, 
and 258 herein, concerning the establishment of hospital and safety 
zones and localities.) 

46. Such Buildings to Display Sign Specified In Naval Treaty 

a. Treaty Provision. 

It is the duty of the inhabitants to indicate such monuments, 
edifices, or places by visible signs, which shall consist of large 
stiff rectangular panels divided diagonally into two coloured tri- 
angular portions, the upper portion black, the lower portion 
wh ite. (H.IX, art 5, 2d par.) 

b. Application of Rule. The foregoing rule adopted in this con- 
vention for naval warfare may be adopted for protecting buildings 
under bombardment in land warfare. 

c. Use of Foregoing for Military Purposes. The besieging forces 
are not required to observe the signs indicating inviolability of 
buildings that are known to be used for military purposes, such as 
quarters, warehouses, observation posts, or signal installations. 

47. Pillage Forbidden 

The pillage of a town or place, even when taken by assault, is 
prohibited. (HS,art. B8.) 



21 



Section V. STRATAGEMS 



48. Stratagems Permissible 

Ruses of war and the employment of measures necessary for 
obtaining information about the enemy and the country are con- 
sidered permissible. (SB, art. 24.) 

49. Good Faith 

Absolute good faith with the enemy must be observed as a rule of 
conduct; but this does not prevent measures such as using spies and 
secret agents, encouraging defection or insurrection among the enemy 
civilian population, corrupting enemy civilians or soldiers by bribes, 
or inducing the enemy's soldiers to desert, surrender, or rebel. In 
general, a belligerent may resort to those measures for mystifying 
or misleading the enemy against which the enemy ought to take meas- 
ures to protect himself. 

50. Treachery or Perfidy 

Ruses of war are legitimate so long as they do not involve treachery 
or perfidy on the part of the belligerent resorting to them. They 
are, however, forbidden if they contravene any generally accepted 
rule. 

The line of demarcation between legitimate ruses and forbidden acta 
of perfidy is sometimes indistinct, but the following examples indi- 
cate the correct principles- It would be an improper practice to se- 
cure an advantage of the enemy by deliberate lying or misleading 
conduct which involves a breach of faith, or when there is a moral 
obligation to speak the truth. For example, it is improper to feign 
surrender so as to secure an advantage over the opposing belligerent 
thereby. So similarly, to broadcast to the enemy that an armistice 
had been agreed upon when such is not the case would be treacherous. 
On the other hand, it is a perfectly proper ruse to summon a force to 
surrender on the ground that it is surrounded and thereby induce such 
surrender with a small force. 

Treacherous or perfidious conduct in war is forbidden because it 
destroys the basis for a restoration of peace short of the complete 
annihilation of one belligerent by the other. 

51. Legitimate Ruses 

Among legitimate ruses may be counted surprises, ambushes, feign- 
ing attacks, retreats, or flights, simulating quiet and inactivity, use 
of small forces to simulate large units, transmitting false or mislead- 
ing radio or telephone messages, deception of the enemy by bogus 
orders purporting to have been issued by the enemy commander, mak- 
ing use of the enemy's signals and passwords, pretending to com- 
municate with troops or reinforcements which have no existence, de- 



22 



ceptive supply movements, deliberate planting of false information, 
use of spies and secret agents, moving landmarks, putting up dummy 
guns and vehicles or laying dummy mines, erection of dummy in- 
stallations and airfields, removing unit identifications from uniforms, 
use of signal deceptive measures, and psychological warfare 
activities. 

52. Improper Use of Identifying Devices 

It is especially forbidden * * * to make improper use of a flag 
of truce, of the national flag, or of the military insignia and uni- 
form of the enemy, as well as the distinctive badges of the Geneva 
Convention. (SR, art. $3, par. (/) .) 

53. Flags of Truce 

Flags of truce must not be used surreptitiously to obtain military 
information or merely to obtain time to effect a retreat or secure re- 
inforcements or to feign a surrender in order to surprise an enemy. 
An officer receiving them is not on this account absolved from the 
duty of exercising proper precautions with regard to them. 

54. National Flags, Insignia, and Uniforms as a Ruse 

In practice, it has been authorized to make use of national flags, 
insignia, and uniforms as a ruse. The foregoing rule (SR, art. 23, 
par. (/) ) does not prohibit such employment, but does prohibit their 
improper use. It is certainly forbidden to employ them during com- 
bat, but their use at other times is not forbidden. 

55. Improper Use of Distinctive Emblem of Geneva Convention 

The use of the emblem of the Red Cross and other equivalent in-: 
signia must be limited to the indication or protection of medical units 
and establishments, the personnel and material protected by GWS 
and other similar conventions. The following are examples of the 
improper use of the emblem: Using a hospital or other building 
accorded such protection as an observation post or military office or 
depot; firing from a building or tent displaying the emblem of the 
Red Cross; using a hospital train or airplane to facilitate the escape 
of combatants; displaying the emblem on vehicles containing am- 
munition or other nonmedical stores; and in general using it for 
cloaking acts of hostility. 

Sedion VI. TREATMENT OF PROPERTY DURING COMBAT 

56. Devastation 

The measure of permissible devastation is found in the strict neces- 
sities of war. Devastation as an end in itself or as a separate meas- 
ure of war is not sanctioned by the law of war. There must be some 
reasonably close connection between the destruction of property and 



23 



the overcoming of the enemy's army. Thus the rule requiring re- 
spect for private property is not violated through damage resulting 
from operations, movements, or combat activity of the army; that 
is, real estate may be used for marches, camp sites, construction of 
field fortifications, etc. Buildings may be destroyed for sanitary 
purposes or used for shelter for troops, the wounded and sick and 
vehicles and for reconnaissance, cover, and defense. Fences, woods, 
crops, buildings, etc., may be demolished, cut down, and removed to 
clear a field of fire, to clear the ground for landing fields, or to furnish 
building materials or fuel if imperatively needed for the army. (See 
GO, art. 53; par. 339b; herein, concerning the permissible extent of 
destruction in occupied areas.) 

57. Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historic Monu- 

ments 

The United States and certain of the American Republics are 
parties to the so-called Roerich Pact, which accords a neutralized 
and protected status to historic monuments, museums, scientific, ar- 
tistic, educational, and cultural institutions in the event of war be- 
tween such States. (For its text, see 49 Stat. 3267; Treaty Series 
No. 899.) 

58. Destruction and Seizure of Property 

It is especially forbidden * * * to destroy or seize the enemy's 
property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively de- 
manded by the necessities of war {HR, art. 83, par. (g) .) 

59. Booty of War 

a. Public Property. All enemy public movable property captured 
or found on a battlefield becomes the property of the capturing State. 

hi Private Property. Enemy private movable property, other than 
arms, military papers, horses, and the like captured or found on a 
battlefield, may be appropriated only to the extent that such taking 
is permissible in occupied areas (see pars. 405-411). 

c. Prisoners of War. The property which prisoners of war are to 
be allowed to retain is specified in Article 18, GPW (par. 94), 



24 



CHAPTER 3 
PRISONERS OF WAR 



Section I. PERSONS ENTITLED TO BE TREATED AS PRISONERS OF WAR; 
RETAINED MEDICAL PERSONNEL 

60. General Division of Enemy Population 

The enemy population is divided in war into two general classes: 

a. Persons entitled to treatment as prisoners of war upon capture, 
as defined in Article 4, GPW (par. 61). 

b. The civilian population (exclusive of those civilian persons listed 
in GPW, art. 4), who benefit to varying degrees from the provisions 
of GC (see chs. 5 and 6 herein) . 

Persons in each of the foregoing categories have distinct rights, 
duties, and disabilities. Persons who are not members of the armed 
forces, as defined in Article 4, GPW, who bear arms or engage in 
other conduct hostile to the enemy thereby deprive themselves of 
many of the privileges attaching to the members of the civilian popu- 
lation (see sec. II of this chapter). 

61 . Prisoners of War Defined 

A. Prisoners of war, in the sense of the present Convention, are 
persons belonging to one of the following categories, who have 
fallen into the power of the enemy: 

(1) Members of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict, 
as well as members of militias or volunteer corps form- 
ing part of such armed forces. 

(2) Members of other militias and members of other volun- 
teer corps, including those of organized resistance move- 
ments, belonging to a Party to the conflict and operating 
in or outside their own territory, even if this territory 
is occupied, provided that such militias or volunteer 
corps, including such organized resistance movements, 
fulfil the following conditions: 

(a) that of being commanded by a person responsible for 
his subordinates ; 

(b) that of having a fixed distinctive sign recognizable at 
a distance ; 

(c) that of carrying arms openly; 

(d) that of conducting their operations in accordance with 
the laws and customs of war. 



25 



Members of regular armed forces who profess allegiance 
to a government or an authority not recognized by the 
Detaining Power. 

Persons who accompany the armed forces without ac- 
tually being members thereof, such as civilian members 
of military aircraft crews, war correspondents, supply 
contractors, members of labour units or of services re- 
sponsible for the welfare of the armed forces, provided 
that they have received authorization from the armed 
forces which they accompany, who shall provide them 
for that purpose with an identity card similar to the 
annexed model. 

Members of crews, including masters, pilots and appren- 
tices, of the merchant marine and the crews of civil air- 
craft of the Parties to the conflict, who do not benefit 
by more favourable treatment under any other provi- 
sions of international law. 

Inhabitants of a nonoccupied territory, who on the ap- 
proach of the enemy spontaneously take up arms to re- 
sist the invading forces, without having had time to form 
themselves into regular armed units, provided they carry 
arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war. 

B. The following shall likewise be treated as prisoners of war 
under the present Convention: 

(1) Persons belonging, or having belonged, to the armed 
forces of the occupied country, if the occupying Power 
considers it necessary by reason of such allegiance to 
intern them, even though it has originally liberated them 
while hostilities were going on outside the territory it 
occupies, in particular where such persons have made an 
unsuccessful attempt to rejoin the armed forces to which 
they belong and which are engaged in combat, or where 
they fail to comply with a summons made to them with 
a view to internment. 

(2) The persons belonging to one of the categories enumer- 
ated in the present Article, who have been received by 
neutral or non-belligerent Powers on their territory and 
whom these Powers are required to intern under inter- 
national law, without prejudice to any more favourable 
treatment which these Powers may choose to give and 
with the exception of Articles 8, 10, 15, 30, fifth paragraph, 
58-67, 92, 126 and, where diplomatic relations exist be- 
tween the Parties to the conflict and the neutral or non- 
belligerent Power concerned, those Articles concerning 



(3)- 
(4) 

(5) 
(6) 



26 



the Protecting Power. Where such diplomatic relations 
exist, the Parties to a conflict on whom these persons 
depend shall be allowed to perform towards them the 
functions of a Protecting Power as provided in the pres- 
ent Convention, without prejudice to the functions which 
these Parties normally exercise in conformity with diplo- 
matic and consular usage and treaties. 

C. This Article shall in no way affect the status of medical 
personnel and chaplains as provided for in Article 33 of the 
present Convention. (GPW, art. 

62. Combatants and Noncombatants 

The armed forces of the belligerent parties may consist of com- 
batants and noncombatants. In the case of capture by the enemy, 
both have a right to be treated as prisoners of war. {HE, art. 3.) 

63. Commandos and Airborne Troops 

Commando forces and airborne troops, although operating by 
highly trained methods of surprise and violent combat, are entitled, 
as long as they are members of the organized armed forces of the 
enemy and wear uniform, to be treated as prisoners of war upon 
capture, even if they operate singly. 

64. Qualifications of Members of Militias and Volunteer Corps 

The requirements specified in Article 4, paragraphs A (2) (a) to 
(d), <?PW (par. 61) are satisfied in the following fashion: 

a. Command by a Responsible Person; This condition is fulfilled 
if the commander of the corps is a commissioned officer of the armed 
forces or is a person of position and authority or if the members of 
the militia or volunteer corps are provided with documents, badges, 
or other means of identification to show that they are officers, non- 
commissioned officers, or soldiers so that there may be no doubt that 
they are not persons acting on their own responsibility. State recog- 
nition, however, is not essential, and an organization may be formed 
spontaneously and elect its own officers. 

b. Fixed Distinctive Sign. The second condition, relative to the 
possession of a fixed distinctive sign recognizable at a distance is satis- 
fied by the wearing of military uniform, but less than the complete 
uniform will suffice. A helmet or headdress which would make the 
silhouette of the individual readily distinguishable from that of an 
ordinary civilian would satisfy this requirement. It is also desirable 
that the individual member of the militia or volunteer corps wear a 
badge or brassard permanently affixed to his clothing. It is not neces- 
sary to inform the enemy of the distinctive sign, although it may be 
desirable to do so in order to avoid misunderstanding. 



27 



c. Carrying Arms Openly. This requirement is not satisfied by the 
carrying of weapons concealed about the person or if the individuals 
hide their weapons on the approach of the enemy. 

d. Compliance With Law of War. This condition is fulfilled if 
most of the members of the body observe the laws and customs of 
war, notwithstanding the fact that the individual member concerned 
may have committed a war crime. Members of militias and volunteer 
corps should be especially warned against employment of treachery, 
denial of quarters, maltreatment of prisoners of war, wounded, and 
dead, improper conduct toward flags of truce, pillage, and unneces- 
sary violence and destruction. 

65. The Levee en Masse 

If the enemy approaches an area for the purpose of seizing it, the 
inhabitants, if they defend it, are entitled to the rights of regular 
combatants as a levee en masse (see GPW, art 4, par. A (6) ; par. 61 
herein) , although they wear no distinctive sign. In such a case all 
the inhabitants of the area may be considered legitimate enemies until 
the area is taken. Should some inhabitants of a locality thus take 
part in its defense, it might be justifiable to treat all the males of 
military age as prisoners of war. Even if inhabitants who formed 
the levee en masse lay down their arms and return to their normal 
activities, they may be made prisoners of war. 

66. Wounded and Sick 

Subject to the provisions of Article 12, the wounded and sick 
of a belligerent who fall into enemy hands shall be prisoners of 
war, and the provisions of international law concerning prisoners 
of war shall apply to them. (GWS, art. 14.) 

67. Medical Personnel and Chaplains 

Medical personnel exclusively engaged in the search for, or 
collection, transport or treatment of the wounded or sick, or in 
the prevention of disease, staff exclusively engaged in the ad- 
ministration of medical units and establishments, as well as 
chaplains attached to the armed forces, shall be respected and 
protected in all circumstances. (GWS, art. 

Members of the medical personnel and chaplains while retained 
by the Detaining Power with a view to assisting prisoners of war, 
shall not be considered as prisoners of war. They shall, how- 
ever, receive as a minimum the benefits and protection of the 
present Convention, and shall also be granted all facilities neces- 
sary to provide for the medical care of and religious ministration 
to prisoners of war. 

They shall continue to exercise their medical and spiritual 
functions for the benefit of prisoners of war, preferably those 



28 



belonging to the armed forces Tip on which they depend, within 
the scope of the military laws and regulations of the Detaining 
Power and under the control of its competent services, in accord- 
ance with their professional etiquette. They shall also benefit 
by the following facilities in the exercise of their medical or 
spiritual functions: 

(a) They shall be authorized to visit periodically prisoners 
of war situated in working detachments or in hospitals 
outside the camp. For this purpose, the Detaining Power 
shall place at their disposal the necessary means of 
transport. 

(b) The senior medical officer in each camp shall be respon- 
sible to the camp military authorities for everything con- 
nected with the activities of retained medical personnel. 
For this purpose, Parties to the conflict shall agree at the 
outbreak of hostilities on the subject of the corresponding 
ranks of the medical personnel, including that of societies 
mentioned in Article 26 of the Geneva Convention for the 
Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick 
in Armed Forces in the Field of August 12, 1949. This 
senior medical officer, as well as chaplains, shall have 
the right to deal with the competent authorities of the 
camp on all questions relating to their duties. Such 
authorities shall afford them all necessary facilities for 
correspondence relating to these questions. 

(c) Although they shall be subject to the internal discipline 
of the camp in which they are retained, such personnel 
may not be compelled to carry out any work other than 
that concerned with their medical or religious duties. 

During hostilities, the Parties to the conflict shall agree con- 
cerning the possible relief of retained personnel and shall settle 
the procedure to be followed. 

None of the preceding provisions shall relieve the Detaining 
Power of its obligations with regard to prisoners of war from the 
medical or spiritual point of view. (GPW, art. 33.) 

(See also GWS, arts. 27 and 32; pars. 229 and 233 herein.) 

68. Persons Temporarily Performing Medical Functions 

Members of the armed forces specially trained for employment, 
should the need arise, as hospital orderlies, nurses, or auxiliary 
stretcher-bearers, in the search for or the collection, transport or 
treatment of the wounded and sick * * * who have fallen into 
the hands of the enemy, shall be prisoners of war, but shall be 
employed on their medical duties in so far as the need arises. 
(GWS, arts. 86 and 29.) 

29 

684524 0-63 — 3 



69. Personnel of Aid Societies 

The staff of National Red Cross Societies and that of other 
Voluntary Aid Societies, duly recognized and authorized by their 
Governments, who may be employed on the same duties as the 
personnel named in Article 24, are placed on the same footing as 
the personnel named in the said Article, provided that the staff 
of such societies are subject to military laws and regulations. 

Each High Contracting Party shall notify to the other, either 
in time of peace, or at the commencement of or during hostilities, 
but in any case before actually employing them, the names of the 
societies which it has authorized, under its responsibility, to render 
assistance to the regular medical service of its armed forces. 
(GWS, art. 26.) 

70. Enumeration Not Exhaustive 

The enumeration of persons entitled to be treated as prisoners of 
war is not exhaustive and does not preclude affording prisoner-of-war 
status to persons who would otherwise be subject to less favorable 
treatment. 

71. Interim Protection 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The present Convention shall apply to the persons referred to 
in Article 4 from the time they fall into the power of the enemy 
and until their final release and repatriation. 

Should any doubt arise as to whether persons, having committed 
a belligerent act and having fallen into the hands of the enemy, 
belong to any of the categories enumerated in Article 4, such 
persons shall enjoy the protection of the present Convention until 
such time as their status has been determined by a competent 
tribunal. (GPW,art.6.) 

b. Interpretation. The foregoing provision applies to any person 
not appearing to be entitled to prisoner-of-war status who has com- 
mitted a belligerent act or has engaged in hostile activities in aid of 
the armed forces and who asserts that he is entitled t6 treatment as a 
prisoner of war or concerning whom any other doubt of a like nature 
exists. 

c. Competent Tribunal. A "competent tribunal" of the United 
States for the purpose of determining whether a person of the nature 
described in a above is or is not entitled to prisoner-of-war status is a 
board of not less than three officers acting according to such pro- 
cedure as may be prescribed for tribunals of this nature. 

d. Further Proceedings. Persons who have been determined by a 
competent tribunal not to be entitled to prisoner-of-war status may 



30 



not be executed, imprisoned, or otherwise penalized without further 
judicial proceedings to determine what acts tliey have committed and 
what penalty should be imposed therefore. 

Section II. PERSONS NOT ENTITLED TO BE TREATED AS 
PRISONERS OF WAR 

72. Certain Persons in Occupied Areas 

Persons in occupied areas not falling within the categories set forth 
in Article 4, GPW (par. 61), who commit acts hostile to the occu- 
pant or prejudicial to his security are subject to a special regime, 
concerning which see chapter 6, section VIII. The provisions of the 
present section must, in the case of offenses committed in occupied 
territory, be read subject to the qualifications set forth in chapter 6, 
section VIII (for example, the limitation on punishments prescribed 
by GC, art. 68; par. 438 herein). 

73. Persons Committing Hostile Acts Not Entitled To Be Treated as 

Prisoners of War 

If a person is determined by a competent tribunal, acting in con- 
formity with Article 5, GPW (par. 71), not to fall within any of the 
categories listed in Article 4, GPW (par. 61), he is not entitled to be 
treated as a prisoner of war. He is, however, a "protected person" 
within the meaning of Article 4, GC (par. 247). (See pars. 247 and 
248, concerning the status of such "protected persons" who have en- 
gaged in conduct hostile to the opposing belligerent.) 

74. Necessity of Uniform 

Members of the armed forces of a party to the conflict and mem- 
bers of militias or volunteer corps forming part of such armed forces 
lose their right to be treated as prisoners of war whenever they 
deliberately conceal their status in order to pass behind the military 
lines of the enemy for the purpose of gathering military information 
or for the purpose of waging war by destruction of life or property. 
Putting on civilian clothes or the uniform of the enemy are examples 
of concealment of the status of a member of the armed forces. 

75. Spies 

a. Treaty Provision. 

A person can only be considered a spy when, acting clandes- 
tinely or on false pretences, he obtains or endeavors to obtain 
information in the zone of operations of a belligerent, with the 
intention of communicating it to the hostile party. 

Thus, soldiers not wearing a disguise who have penetrated into 
the zone of operations of the hostile army, for the purpose of 



31 



obtaining information, are not considered spies. Similarly, the 
following are not considered spies: Soldiers and civilians, carry- 
ing out their mission openly, intrusted with the delivery of des- 
patches intended either for their own army or for the enemy's 
army. To this class-belong likewise persons sent in balloons for 
the purpose of carrying despatches and, generally, of main- 
taining communications between the different parts of an army 
or a territory. (HE, art. 29.) 

American Statutory Definition. The first paragraph of the 
foregoing Hague Regulation has been in effect somewhat modified, 
as far as American practice is concerned, by the subsequently enacted 
Article 106 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (64 Stat. 138; 
W U. S. C. 700), as follows : 

Art. 106. Spies. — Any person who in time of war is found lurk- 
ing as a spy or acting as a spy in or about any place, vessel, or 
aircraft, within the control or jurisdiction of any of the armed 
forces of the United States, or in or about any shipyard, any 
manufacturing or industrial plant, or any other place or institu- 
tion engaged in work in aid of the prosecution of the war by the 
United States, or elsewhere, shall be tried by a general court- 
martial or by a military commission and on conviction shall be 
punished by death. 

c. Article 106 Govern&i Insofar as Article 29, HE, and Article 106, 
Uniform Code of Military Justice, are not in conflict with each other, 
they will be construed and applied together. Otherwise Article 106 
governs American practice. 

76. Who Included in Definition 

The definition embodied in the Hague Regulations (par. 75a) and 
that contained in Article 106 of the Uniform Code of Military Jus- 
tice (par. 756) include persons of all classes, whether military or 
civilian, without regard to citizenship or sex. Both likewise apply 
only where the acts are committed in time of war. The Hague defini- 
tion applies only where the information is obtained or sought "in 
the zone of operations," while the statutory definition is not so limited. 
The latter includes only persons "found lurking as a spy or acting 
as a spy" in those places specifically designated "or elsewhere." It 
has not been decided whether the phrase "or elsewhere" justifies trial 
by a military tribunal of any person who is not found in one of the 
places designated or in the field of military operations or territory 
under martial law and is not a member of the armed forces or other- 
wise subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Persons 
charged with espionage committed in the United States outside mili- 
tary jurisdiction are nevertheless liable to trial and punishment by 
the civil courts under the espionage laws (18 V. S. C. (chap. 37)). 



32 



77. Employment of Spies Lawful 

The foregoing Article 29, HR (par. 75), and Article 24, HR (par. 
48), tacitly recognize the well-established right of belligerents to 
employ spies and other secret agents for obtaining information of 
the enemy. Resort to that practice involves no offense against inter- 
national law. Spies are punished, not as violators of the laws of war, 
but to render that method of obtaining information as dangerous, 
difficult, and ineffective as possible. 

78. Punishment 

a. Necessity of Trial. 

A spy taken in the act shall not be punished without previous 
trial. (HR, art. 30.) 

■b. Attempts. The spy is punishable with death whether or not he 
succeeds in obtaining information or in conveying it to the enemy. 

c. Immunity upon Rejoining Own Army. 

A spy who, after rejoining the army to which he belongs, is 
subsequently captured by the enemy, is treated as a prisoner of 
war, and incurs no responsibility for his previous acts of es- 
pionage. (HR, art. SI.) 

79. Aiding the Enemy 

a. American Statutory Definition. 
Any person who — 

(1) aids or attempts to aid, the enemy with arms, ammuni- 
tion, supplies, money, or other thing; or 

(2) without proper authority, knowingly harbors or pro- 
tects or gives intelligence to, or communicates or cor- 
responds with or holds any intercourse with the enemy, 
either directly or indirectly; shall suffer death or such 
other punishment as a court-martial or military com- 
mission may direct. (UCMJ, Art. 104; H Stat. 138; 50 
U. S. C, 698.) 

b. Interpretation. In time of war, the rule of the above article is 
general in its application to all persons whether or not otherwise sub- 
ject to military law and without regard to citizenship or military 
or civil status, who give aid to an enemy government or persons ad- 
hering to it. It may be that this statute, should it be subjected to 
judicial interpretation, would be held to authorize the trial of civilians 
by military tribunals only when the offense had been committed in 
territory under martial law or military government, or within the zone 
of military operations, or within areas invaded by the United States, 
or within or in the vicinity of a military installation, or in a place 
otherwise subject to military jurisdiction. Cases occurring in the 
United States outside military jurisdiction are triable by the civil 



33 



courts under the espionage laws mentioned above (par. 76) and laws 
relating to treason {18 V. S. O. {chap. 115) ). 

80. Individuals Not of Armed Forces Who Engage in Hostilities 

Persons, such as guerrillas and partisans, who take up arms and 
commit hostile acts without having complied with the conditions pre- 
scribed by the laws of war for recognition as belligerents (see GfPW, 
art. 4/ P ar - 61 herein), are, when captured by the injured party, not 
entitled to be treated as prisoners of war and may be tried and 
sentenced to execution or imprisonment. 

8T. Individuals Not of Armed Forces Who Commit Hostile Acts 

Persons who, without having complied with the conditions pre- 
scribed by the laws of war for recoguition as belligerents (see GfPW, 
art. 4; par. 61 herein), commit hostile acts about or behind the lines 
of the enemy are not to be treated as prisoners of war and may be 
tried and sentenced to execution or imprisonment. Such acts include, 
but are not limited to, sabotage, destruction of communications facili- 
ties, intentional misleading of troops by guides, liberation of prisoners 
of war, and other acts not falling within Articles 104 and 106 of the 
Uniform Code of Military Justice and Article 29 of the Hague 
Regulations. 

82. Penalties for the Foregoing 

Persons in the foregoing categories who have attempted, com- 
mitted, or conspired to commit hostile or belligerent acts are subject 
to the extreme penalty of death because of the danger inherent in their 
conduct. Lesser penalties may, however, be imposed. 

83. Military Attaches and Diplomatic Representatives of Neutral States 

Military attaches and diplomatic representatives of neutral States 
who establish their identity as such and are accompanying an army 
in the field or are found within a captured fortress, whether within 
the territory of the enemy or in territory occupied by it, are not held 
as prisoners, provided that they take no part in hostilities. They 
may, however, be ordered out of the theater of war, and, if necessary, 
handed over by the captor to the ministers of their respective coun- 
tries. Only if they refuse to quit the theater of war may they be 
interned. 

Section III. GENERAL PROTECTION OF PRISONERS OF WAR 

84. Duration of Protection 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The present Convention shall apply to the persons referred to 
in Article 4 from the time they fall into the power of the enemy 



34 



and until their final release and repatriation * * *. (GPW, art. 
5; see par. 71 herein.) 

b. Power of the Enemy Defined. A person is considered to have 
fallen into the power of the enemy when he has been captured by, or 
surrendered to members of the military forces, the civilian police, or 
local civilian.defense organizations or enemy civilians who have taken 
him into custody. 

85. Killing of Prisoners 

A commander may not put his prisoners to death because their 
presence retards his movements or diminishes his power of resistance 
by necessitating a large guard, or by reason of their consuming sup- 
plies, or because it appears certain that they will regain their liberty 
through the impending success of their forces. It is likewise unlawful 
for a commander to kill his prisoners on grounds of seif-preservation, 
even in the case of airborne or commando operations, although the 
circumstances of the operation may make necessary rigorous super- 
vision of and restraint upon the movement of prisoners of war. 

86. Special Agreements 

In addition to the agreements expressly provided for in Articles 
10, 23, 28, 33, 60, 65, 66, 67, 72, 73, 7& 109, 110, 118, 119, 122 and 132, 
the High Contracting Parties may conclude other special agree- 
ments for all matters concerning which they may deem it suitable 
to make separate provision. Nospecial agreement shall adversely 
affect the situation of prisoners of war, as defined by the present 
Convention, nor restrict, the rights which it confers upon them. 

Prisoners of war shall continue to have the benefit of such 
agreements as long as the Convention is applicable to them, except 
where express provisions to the contrary are contained in the 
aforesaid or in subsequent agreements, or where more favourable 
measures have been taken with regard to them by one or other 
of the Parties to the conflict. (GPW t art. 6i) 

87. Renunciation of Rights Prohibited 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Prisoners of war may in no circumstances renounce in part or 
in entirety the rights secured to them by the present Convention, 
and by the special agreements referred to in the foregoing Article, 
if such there be. (GPW, art. 7.) 

b. Interpretation. Subject to the exception noted in paragraph 
199, prisoners of war are precluded from renouncing not only their 
rights but also their status, as prisoners of war, even if they do so 
voluntarily. The prohibition extends equally to prisoners renouncing 
their status in order to become civilians or to join the armed forces of 
the Detaining Power. 



35 



88. Responsibility for the Treatment of Prisoners 

Prisoners of war are in the hands of the enemy Power, but not 
of the individuals or military units who have captured them. Ir- 
respective of the individual responsibilities that may exist, the 
Detaining Power is responsible for the treatment given them. 

Prisoners of war may only be transferred by the Detaining 
Power to a Power which is a party to the Convention and after the 
Detaining Power has satisfied itself of the willingness and ability 
of such transferee Power to apply the Convention. ' When pris- 
oners of war are transferred under such circumstances, respon- 
sibility for the application of the Convention rests on the Power 
accepting them while they are in its custody. 

Nevertheless, if that Power fails to carry out the provisions of 
the Convention in any important respect, the Power by whom the 
prisoners of war were transferred shall, upon being notified by 
the Protecting Power, take effective measures to correct the situ- 
ation or shall request the return of the prisoners of war. Such 
requests must be complied with. (GPW, art. 12.) 

89. Humane Treatment of Prisoners 

Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated. Any 
unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death 
or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its 
custody is prohibited, and will be regarded as a serious breach 
of the present Convention. In particular, no prisoner of war may 
be subjected to physical mutilation or to medical or scientific ex- 
periments of any kind which are not justified by the medical, 
dental or hospital treatment of the prisoner concerned and carried 
out in his interest. 

Likewise, prisoners of war must at all times be protected, par- 
ticularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against in- 
sults and public curiosity. 

Measures of reprisal against prisoners of war are prohibited. 
(GPW, art. 13.) 

90. Respect for the Person of Prisoners 

Prisoners of war are entitled in all circumstances to respect 
for their persons and their honour. 

Women shall be treated with all the regard due to their sex and 
shall in all cases benefit by treatment as favourable as that 
granted to men. 

Prisoners of war shall retain the full civil capacity which they 
enjoyed at the time of their capture. The Detaining Power may 
not restrict the exercise, either within or without its own territory, 
of the rights such capacity confers except in so far as the captivity 
requ ires. ( GP W, art. 14.) 



36 



91. Maintenance of Prisoners 

The Power detaining prisoners of war shall be bound to pro- 
vide free of charge for their maintenance and for the medical 
attention required by their state of health. (GPW, art. 15.) 

92. Equality of Treatment 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Taking into consideration the provisions of the present Con- 
vention relating to rank and sex, and subject to any privileged 
treatment which may be accorded to them by reason of their 
state of health, age or professional qualifications, all prisoners 
of war shall be treated alike by the Detaining Power, without any 
adverse distinction based on race, nationality, religious belief or 
political opinions, or any other distinction founded on similar 
criteria. (GPW, art. 16.) 

i. The foregoing provision does not preclude the segregation of 
prisoners of war to maintain order in camps, to impose punishment, 
or for medical reasons. (See GPW, art. 79, 5th par./ par. 155 
herein.) 

Section IV. BEGINNING OF CAPTIVITY 

93. Questioning of Prisoners 

Every prisoner of war, when questioned on the subject, is bound 
to give only his surname, first names and rank, date of birth, 
and army, regimental, personal or serial number, or failing; this, 
equivalent information. 

If he wilfully infringes this rule, he may render himself liable 
to a restriction of the privileges accorded to his rank or status. 

Each Party to a conflict is required to furnish the persons 
under its jurisdiction who are liable to become prisoners of war, 
with an identity card showing the owner's surname, first names, 
rank, army, regimental, personal or serial number or equivalent 
information, and date of birth. The identity card may, further- 
more, bear the signature or the fingerprints, or both, of the owner, 
and may bear, as well, any other information the Party to the 
conflict may wish to add concerning persons belonging to its 
armed forces. As far as possible the card shall measure 6.5 x 
10 cm. and shall be issued in duplicate. The identity card shall 
be shown by the prisoner of war upon demand, but may in no 
case be taken away from him. 

No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, 
may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them informa- 
tion of any kind whatever. Prisoners of war who refuse to 
answer may not be threatened, insulted, or exposed to unpleasant 
or disadvantageous treatment of any kind. 



37 



Prisoners of war who, owing: to their physical or mental condi- 
tion, are unable to state their identity, shall be handed over to 
the medical service. The identity of such prisoners shall be es- 
tablished by all possible means, subject to the provisions of the 
preceding paragraph. 

The questioning of prisoners of war shall be carried out in a 
language which they understand. (GPW, art. 17.) 

94. Property of Prisoners 

a. Treaty Provision. 

All effects and articles of personal use, except arms, horses, 
military equipment and military documents, shall remain in the 
possession of prisoners of war, likewise their metal helmets and 
gas masks and like articles issued for personal protection. Ef- 
fects and articles used for their clothing or feeding shall like- 
wise remain in their possession, even if such effects and articles 
belong to their regulation military equipment. 

At no time should prisoners of war be without identity docu- 
ments. The Detaining Power shall supply such documents to 
prisoners of war who possess none. 

Badges of rank and nationality, decorations and articles having 
above all a personal or sentimental value may not be taken from 
prisoners of war. 

Sums of money carried by prisoners of war may not be taken 
away from them except by order of an officer, and after the 
amount and particulars of the owner have been recorded in a 
special register and an itemized receipt has been given, legibly 
inscribed with the name, rank and unit of the person issuing the 
said receipt. Sums in the currency of the Detaining Power, or 
which are changed into such currency at the prisoner's request, 
shall be placed to the credit of the prisoner's account as provided 
in Article 64. 

The Detaining Power may withdraw articles of value from 
prisoners of war only for reasons of security; when such articles 
are withdrawn, the procedure laid down for sums of money im- 
pounded shall apply. 

Such objects, likewise sums taken away in any currency other 
than that of the Detaining Power and the conversion of which 
has not been asked for by the owners, shall be kept in the custody 
of the Detaining Power and shall be returned in their initial 
shape to prisoners of war at the end of their captivity. (GPW, 
art. 18.) 

b. Transactions With Prisoners. It is not proper for members of 
the forces of the Detaining Power to engage in bartering and other 
transactions "with prisoners of war concerning their personal effects. 



38 



c. Unexplained Possession of Large Sums of Money by Prisoners 
of War. The unexplained possession by a prisoner of war of a large 
sum of money justifiably leads to the inference that such funds are not 
his own property and are in fact either property of the enemy govern- 
ment or property which has been looted or otherwise stolen. 

95. Evacuation of Prisoners 

Prisoners of war shall be evacuated, as soon as possible after 
their capture, to camps situated in an area far enough from the 
combat zone for them to be out of danger. 

Only those prisoners of war who, owing to wounds or sickness, 
would run greater risks by being evacuated than by remaining 
where they are, may be temporarily kept back in a danger zone. 

Prisoners of war shall not be unnecessarily exposed to danger 
while awaiting evacuation from a fighting zone. (GPW, art. 19.) 

96. Conditions of Evacuation 

The evacuation of prisoners of war shall always be effected 
humanely and in conditions similar to those for the forces of the 
Detaining Power in their changes of station. 

The Detaining Power shall supply prisoners of war who are 
being evacuated with sufficient food and potable water, and with 
the necessary clothing and medical attention. The Detaining 
Power shall take all suitable precautions to ensure their safety 
during evacuation, and shall establish as soon as possible a list 
of the prisoners of war who are evacuated. 

If prisoners of war must, during evacuation, pass through 
transit camps, their stay in such camps shall be as brief as 
possible. (GPW, art. 20 c ) 

Section V. INTERNMENT OF PRISONERS GENERALLY 

97. Restriction of Liberty of Movement 

The Detaining Power may subject prisoners of war to. intern- 
ment. It may Impose on them the obligation of not leaving, be- 
yond certain limits, the camp where they are interned, or if the 
said camp is fenced in, of not going outside its perimeter. Sub- 
ject to the provisions of the present Convention relative to penal 
and disciplinary sanctions, prisoners of war may not be held in 
close confinement except where necessary to safeguard their 
health and then only during the continuation of the circum- 
stances which make such confinement necessary. (GPW, art. 21, 
1st far. ) 

98. Places and Conditions of Internment 

Prisoners of war may be interned only in premises located on 
land and affording every guarantee of hygiene and healthfulness. 



39 



Except in particular cases which are justified by the interest of 
the prisoners themselves, they shall not be interned in peni- 
tentiaries. 

Prisoners of war interned in unhealthy areas, or where the 
climate is injurious for them, shall be removed as soon as pos- 
sible to a more favourable climate. 

The Detaining Power shall assemble prisoners of war in camps 
or camp compounds according to their nationality, language 
and customs, provided that such prisoners shall not be separated 
from prisoners of war belonging to the armed forces with which 
they were serving at the time of their capture, except with their 
consent. (OPW, art. 22.) 

99. Security of Prisoners 

No prisoner of war may at any time be sent to, or detained in 
areas where he may be exposed to the fire of the combat zone, 
nor may his presence be used to render certain points or areas 
immune from military operations. 

Prisoners of war shall have shelters against air bombardment 
and other hazards of war, to the same extent as the local civilian 
population. With the exception of those engaged in the pro- 
tection of their quarters against the aforesaid hazards, they may 
enter such shelters as soon as possible after the giving of the 
alarm. Any other protective measure taken in favor of the popu- 
lation shall also apply to them. 

Detaining Powers shall give the Powers concerned, through 
the intermediary of the Protecting Powers, all useful informa- 
tion regarding the geographical location of prisoner of war 
camps. 

Whenever military considerations permit, prisoner of war 
camps shall be indicated in the day-time by the letters PW or 
PG, placed so as to be clearly visible from the air. The Powers 
concerned may, however, agree upon any other system of marking. 
Only prisoner of war camps shall be marked as such. (OPW, 
art. S3.) 

100. Permanent Transit Camps 

Transit or screening camps of a permanent kind shall be fitted 
out under conditions similar to those described in the present 
Section, and the prisoners therein shall have the same treatment 
as in other camps. (GPW, art 

Section VI. QUARTERS, FOOD, AND CLOTHING 
10T. Quarters 

Prisoners of war shall be quartered under conditions as fa- 
vourable as those for the forces of the Detaining Power who are 



40 



billeted in the same area. The said conditions shall make allow- 
ance for the habits and customs of the prisoners and shall in no 
case be prejudicial to their health. 

The foregoing provisions shall apply in particular to the dormi- 
tories of prisoners of war as regards both total surface and mini- 
mum cubic space, and the general installations, bedding and 
blankets. 

The premises provided for the use of prisoners of war indi- 
vidually or collectively, shall be entirely protected from damp- 
ness and adequately heated and lighted, in particular between 
dusk and lights out. All precautions must be taken against the 
danger of fire. 

In any camps in which women prisoners of war, as well as men, 
are accommodated, separate dormitories shall be provided for 
them. (GFW,art.£6.) 

102. Food 

The basic daily food rations shall be sufficient in quantity, 
quality and variety to keep prisoners of war in good health and 
prevent loss of weight or the development of nutritional de- 
ficiencies. Account shall also be taken of the habitual diet of the 
prisoners. 

The Detaining Power shall supply prisoners of war who work 
with such additional rations as are necessary for the labour on 
which they are employed. 

Sufficient drinking water shall be supplied to prisoners of war. 
The use of tobacco shall be permitted. 

Prisoners of war shall, as far as possible, be associated with 
the preparation of their meals; they may be employed for that 
purpose in the kitchens. Furthermore, they shall be given the 
means of preparing, themselves, the additional food in their 
possession. 

Adequate premises shall be provided for messing. 

Collective disciplinary measures affecting food are prohibited. 

(OPW, art. 26.) 

103. Clothing 

Clothing, underwear and footwear shall be supplied to prisoners 
of war in sufficient quantities by the Detaining Power, which shall 
make allowance for the climate of the region where the prisoners 
are detained. Uniforms of enemy armed forces captured by the 
Detaining Power should, if suitable for the climate, be made avail- 
able to clothe prisoners of war. 

The regular replacement and repair of the above articles shall 
be assured by the Detaining Power. In addition, prisoners of war 



41 



who work shall receive appropriate clothing, wherever the nature 
of the work demands. (GPW, art. 27.) 

104. Canteens 

Canteens shall be installed in all camps, where prisoners of war 
may procure foodstuffs, soap and tobacco and ordinary articles in 
daily use. The tariff shall never be in excess of local market 
prices. 

The profits made by camp canteens shall be used for the benefit 
of the prisoners; a special fund shall be created for this purpose. 
The prisoners' representative shall have the right to collaborate 
in the management of the canteen and of this fund. 

When a camp is closed down, the credit balance of the special 
fund shall be handed to an international welfare organization, to 
be employed for the benefit of prisoners of war of the same nation- 
ality as those who have contributed to the fund. In case of a 
general repatriation, such profits shall be kept by the Detaining 
Power, subject to any agreement to the contrary between the 
Powers concerned. {GPW, art. %8.) 

105. Cost of Quarters, Food, and Clothing 

Prisoners, including officers, are furnished quarters, food, and 
clothing without cost to them. 

Section VII. HYGIENE AND MEDICAL ATTENTION 

106. Hygiene 

The Detaining Power shall be bound to take all sanitary meas- 
ures necessary to ensure the cleanliness and healthfulness of 
camps and to prevent epidemics. 

Prisoners of war shall have for their use, day and night, con- 
veniences which conform to the rules of hygiene and are main- 
tained in a constant state of cleanliness. In any camps in which 
women prisoners of war are accommodated, separate conven- 
iences shall be provided for them. 

Also, apart from the baths and showers with which the camps 
shall be furnished, prisoners of war shall be provided with suf- 
ficient water and soap for their personal toilet and for washing 
their personal laundry; the necessary installations, facilities and 
time shall be granted them for that purpose. (GPW, art. 29.) 

107. Medical Attention 

Every camp shall have an adequate infirmary where prisoners 
of war may have the attention they require, as well as appropriate 
diet. Isolation wards shall, if necessary, be set aside for cases 
of contagious or mental disease. 



42 



Prisoners of war suffering from serious disease, or whose con- 
dition necessitates special treatment, a surgical operation or hos- 
pital care, must be admitted to any military or civilian medical 
unit where such treatment can be given, even if their repatriation 
is contemplated in the near future. Special facilities shall be 
afforded for the care to be given to the disabled, in particular to 
the blind, and for their rehabilitation, pending repatriation. 

Prisoners of war shall have the attention, preferably, of medical 
personnel of the Power on which they depend and, if possible, of 
their nationality. 

Prisoners of war may not be prevented from presenting them- 
selves to the medical authorities for examination. The detaining 
authorities shall, upon request, issue to every prisoner who has 
undergone treatment, an official certificate indicating the nature 
of his illness or injury, and the duration and kind of treatment 
received. A duplicate of this certificate shall be forwarded to 
the Central Prisoners of War Agency. 

The costs of treatment, including those of any apparatus neces- 
sary for the maintenance of prisoners of war in good health, par- 
ticularly dentures and other artificial appliances, and spectacles, 
shall be borne by the Detaining Power. (GPW, art. 30.) 

108. Medical Inspections 

Medical inspections of prisoners of war shall be held at least 
Once a month. They shall include the checking and the recording 
of the weight of each prisoner of war. Their purpose shall be, 
in particular, to supervise the general state of health, nutrition 
and cleanliness of prisoners and to detect contagious diseases, es- 
pecially tuberculosis, malaria and venereal disease. For this 
purpose the most efficient methods available shall be employed, 
e. g n periodic mass miniature radiography for the early detection 
of tuberculosis. {GPW, art. 31.) 

109. Prisoners Engaged on Medical Duties 

Prisoners of war who, though not attached to the medical serv- 
ice of their armed forces, are physicians, surgeons, dentists, nurses 
or medical orderlies, may be required by the Detaining Power to 
exercise their medical functions in the interests of prisoners of 
war dependent on the same Power. In that case they shall con- 
tinue to be prisoners of war, but shall receive the same treatment 
as corresponding medical personnel retained by the Detaining 
Power. They shall be exempted from any other work under Ar- 
ticle 49. (GPW, arf.Se.) 



43 



Section Vlir. RELIGIOUS, INTELLECTUAL, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES 



110. Religious Freedoms 

Prisoners of war shall enjoy complete latitude in the exercise 
of their religions duties, including attendance at the service of 
their faith, on condition that they comply with the disciplinary 
routine prescribed by the military authorities. 

Adequate premises shall be provided where religious services 
may be held. {GPW, art. 34.) 

111. Retained Chaplains 

Chaplains who fall into the hands of the enemy Power and who 
remain or are retained with a view to assisting prisoners of war,, 
shall be allowed to minister to them and to exercise freely their 
ministry amongst prisoners of war of the same religion, in ac- 
cordance with their religious conscience. They shall be allocated 
among the various camps and labour detachments containing pris- 
oners of war belonging to the same forces, speaking the same 
language or practising the same religion. They shall enjoy the 
necessary facilities, including the means of transport provided 
for in Article 33, for visiting the prisoners of war outside their 
camp. They shall be free to correspond, subject to censorship, 
on matters concerning their religious duties with the ecclesiastical 
authorities in the country of detention and with international 
religious organizations. Letters and cards which they may send 
for this purpose shall be in addition to the quota provided for in 
Article 71. (OPW, art. 35.) 

112. Prisoners Who Are Ministers of Religion 

Prisoners of war who are ministers of religion, without having 
officiated as chaplains to their own forces, shall be at liberty, 
whatever their denomination, to minister freely to the members 
of their community. For this purpose, they shall receive the 
same treatment as the chaplains retained by the Retaining Power. 
They shall not be obliged to do any other work. (GPW, art. 36.) 

1 1 3. Prisoners Without a Minister of Their Religion 

When prisoners of war have not the assistance of a retained 
chaplain or of a prisoner of war minister of their faith, a minister 
belonging to the prisoners' or a similar denomination, or in his 
absence a qualified layman, if such a course is feasible from a 
confessional point of view, shall be appointed, at the request of 
the prisoners concerned, to fill this office. This appointment, sub- 
ject to the approval of the Detaining Power, shall take place with 
the agreement of the community of prisoners concerned and, 
wherever necessary, with the approval of the local religious 



44 



authorities of the same faith. The person thus appointed shall 
comply with all regulations established by the Detaining Power 
in the interests of discipline and military security. (GPW,art. 37.) 

114. Recreation, Study, Sports, and Games 

While respecting the individual preferences of every prisoner, 
the Detaining Power shall encourage the practice of intellectual, 
educational, and recreational pursuits, sports and games amongst 
prisoners, and shall take the measures necessary to ensure the 
exercise thereof by providing them with adequate premises, and 
necessary equipment. 

Prisoners shall have opportunities for taking physical exercise, 
including sports and games, and for being out of doors. Sufficient 
open spaces shall be provided for this purpose in all camps. 
(GPW,art.3S.) 

Section IX. DISCIPLINE 

115. Administration 

Every prisoner of war camp shall be put under the immediate 
authority of a responsible commissioned officer belonging to the 
regular armed forces of the Detaining Power. Such officer shall 
have in his possession a copy of the present Convention ; he shall 
ensure ihat its provisions are known to the camp staff and the 
guard and shall be responsible, under the direction of his gov- 
ernment, for its application. 

Prisoners of war, with the exception of officers, must salute and 
show to all officers of the Detaining Power the external marks of 
respect provided for by the regulations applying in their own 
forces. 

Officer prisoners of war are bound to salute only officers of a 
higher rank of the Detaining Power; they must however, salute 
the camp commander regardless of his rank. (GPW, art. 39.) 

116. Badges and Decorations 

The wearing of badges of rank and nationality, as well as of 
decorations, shall be permitted. (GPW, art. 40.) 

117. Posting of the Convention and of Regulations and Orders Con- 

cerning Prisoners 

In every camp the text of the present Convention and its An- 
nexes and the contents of any special agreement provided for in 
Article 6, shall be posted, in the prisoners' own language, in places 
where all may read them. Copies shall be supplied, on request, 
to the prisoners who cannot have access to the copy which has 
been posted. 

Regulations, orders, notices and publications of every kind 
relating to the conduct of prisoners of war shall be issued to them 

45 

6B4524 0-63— 4 



in a language which they understand. Such regulations, orders 
and publications shall be posted in the manner described above 
and copies shall be handed to the prisoners' representative. Every 
order and command addressed to prisoners of war individually 
must likewise be given in a language which they understand. 
(GPW , art. 41.) 

118. Use of Weapons 

The use of weapons against prisoners of war, especially against 
those who are escaping or attempting to escape, shall constitute 
an extreme measure, which shall always be preceded by warnings 
appropriate to the circumstances. (GPW, art. 4$.) 

Section X. RANK OF PRISONERS OF WAR 

119. Notification of Ranks 

Upon the outbreak of hostilities, the Parties to the conflict shall 
communicate to one another the titles and ranks of all the persons 
mentioned in Article 4 of the present Convention, in order to en- 
sure equality of treatment between prisoners of equivalent rank. 
Titles and ranks which are subsequently created shall form the 
subject of similar communications. 

The Detaining Power shall recognize promotions. in rank which 
have been accorded to prisoners of war and which have been duly 
notified by the Power on which these prisoners depend. (GPW, 
art. 4$-) 

120. Treatment of Officers 

Officers and prisoners of equivalent status shall be treated with 
regard due to their rank and age. 

In order to ensure service in officers' camps, other ranks of the 
same armed forces who, as far as possible, speak the same lan- 
guage, shall be assigned in sufficient numbers, account being taken 
of the rank of officers and prisoners of equivalent status. Such 
orderlies shall not be required to perform any other work. 

Supervision of the mess by the officers themselves shall be 
facilitated in every way. (GPW, art. 44.) 

121. Treatment of Other Prisoners 

Prisoners of war other than officers and prisoners of equivalent 
status shall be treated with the regard due to their rank and age. 

Supervision of the mess by the prisoners themselves shall be 
facilitated in every way. (GPW, art. 4&>) 



46 



Section XI. TRANSFER OF. PRISONERS OF WAR 



122. Conditions 

The Detaining Power, when deciding upon the transfer of pris- 
oners of war, shall take into account the interests of the prisoners 
themselves, more especially so as not to increase the difficulty of 
their repatriation. 

The transfer of prisoners of war shall always be effected hu- 
manely and in conditions not less favourable than those under 
which the forces of the Detaining Power are transferred. Ac- 
count shall always be taken of the climatic conditions to which 
the prisoners of war are accustomed and the conditions of transfer 
shall in no case be prejudicial to their health. 

The Detaining Power shall supply prisoners of war during trans- 
fer with sufficient food and drinking water to keep them in good 
health, likewise the necessary clothing, shelter and medical at- 
tention. The Detaining Power shall take adequate precautions 
especially in case of transport by sea or by air, to ensure their 
safety during transfer, and shall draw up a complete list of all 
transferred prisoners before their departure. (GPW, art. 46.) 

123. Circumstances Precluding Transfer 

Sick or wounded prisoners of war shall not be transferred as 
long as their recovery may be endangered by the journey, unless 
their safety imperatively demands it. 

If the combat zone draws closer to a camp, the prisoners of war 
in the said camp shall not be transferred unless their transfer can 
be carried out in adequate conditions of safety, or unless they 
are exposed to greater risks by remaining on the spot than by 
being transferred. (GPW, art. 47.) 

124. Procedure for Transfer 

In the event of transfer, prisoners of war shall be officially ad- 
vised of their departure and of their new postal address. Such 
notifications shall be given in time for them to pack their luggage 
and inform their next of kin. 

They shall be allowed to take with them their personal effects, 
and the correspondence and parcels which have arrived for them. 
Th? weight of such baggage may be limited, if the conditions of 
transfer so require, to what each prisoner can reasonably carry, 
which shall in no case be more than twenty-five kilograms 
[55 pounds] per head. 



47 



Mail and parcels addressed to their former camp shall be for- 
warded to them without delay. The camp commander shall take, 
in agreement with the prisoners' representative, any measures 
needed to ensure the transport of the prisoners' community prop- 
erty and of the luggage they are unable to take with them in con- 
sequence of restrictions imposed by virtue of the second para- 
graph of this Article. 

The costs of transfers shall be borne by. the Detaining Power. 
(GPW, art. 48.) 

Section Xlt. LABOR OF PRISONERS OF WAR 

125. General 

The Detaining Power may utilize the labour of prisoners of 
war who are physically fit, taking into account their age, sex, 
rank and physical aptitude, and with a view particularly to main- 
taining them in a good state of physical and mental health. 

Non-commissioned officers who are prisoners of war shall only 
be required to do supervisory work. Those not so required may 
ask for other suitable work which shall, so far as possible, be 
found for them. 

If officers or persons of equivalent status ask for suitable work, 
it shall be found for them, so far as possible, but they may in no 
circumstances be compelled to work, (CfPW, art. Ift.) 

126. Authorized Work 

Besides work connected with camp administration, installation 
or maintenance, prisoners of war may be compelled to do only 
such work as is included in the following classes: 

(a) agriculture; 

(b) industries connected with the production or the extrac- 
tion of raw materials, and manufacturing industries, with 
the exception of metallurgical, machinery and chemical 
industries; public works and building operations which 
have no military character or purpose; 

(c) transport and handling of stores which are not military 
in character or purpose; 

(d) commercial business, and arts and crafts; 

(e) domestic service; 

(f) public utility services having no military character or 
purpose. 

Should the above provisions be infringed, prisoners of war shall 
be allowed to exercise their right of complaint, in conformity 
with Article 78. (GPW , art. 50.) 



48 



127. Working Conditions 

Prisoners of war must be granted suitable working conditions, 
especially as regards accommodation, food, clothing and equip- 
ment; such conditions shall not be inferior to those enjoyed 
by nationals of the Detaining Power employed in similar work; 
account shall also be taken of climatic conditions. 

The Detaining Power, in utilizing the labour of prisoners of 
war, shall ensure that in areas in which such prisoners are em- 
ployed, the national legislation concerning the protection of 
labour, and, more particularly, the regulations for the safety of 
workers, are duly applied. 

Prisoners of war shall receive training and be provided with 
the means of protection suitable to the work they will have to do 
and similar to those accorded to the nationals of the Detaining 
Power. Subject to the provisions of Article 52, prisoners may 
be submitted to the normal risks run by these civilian workers. 

Conditions of labour shall in no case be rendered more arduous 
by disciplinary measures. (GPW, art. 51.) 

128. Dangerous or Humiliating Labor 

Unless he be a volunteer, no prisoner of war may be employed 
on labour which is of an unhealthy or dangerous nature. 

No prisoner of war shall be assigned to labour which would be 
looked upon as humilitating for a member of the Detaining 
Power's own forces. 

The removal of mines or similar devices shall be considered as 
dangerous labour. (GPW, art. 62.) 

129. Duration of Labor 

The duration of the daily labour of prisoners of war, including 
the time of the journey to and fro, shall not be excessive, and must 
in no case exceed that permitted for civilian workers in the dis- 
trict, who are nationals of the Detaining Power and employed on 
the same work. 

Prisoners of war must be allowed, in the middle of the day's 
work, a rest of not less than one hour. This rest will be the same 
as that to which workers of the Detaining Power are entitled, if 
the latter is of longer duration. They shall be allowed in addi- 
tion a rest of twenty-four consecutive hours every week, pref- 
erably on Sunday or the day of rest in their country of origin. 
Furthermore, every prisoner who has worked for one year shall 
be granted a rest of eight consecutive days, during which his 
working pay shall be paid him. 

If methods of labour such as piece work are employed, the 
length of the working period shall not be rendered excessive 
thereby. (GPW, art. 53.) 



49 



130. Working Pay and Occupational Accidents and Disease 

The working pay due to prisoners of war shall be fixed in ac* 
cordance with the provisions of Article 62 of the present 
Convention. 

Prisoners of war who sustain accidents in connection with 
work, or who contract a disease in the course, or in consequence 
of their work, shall receive all the care their condition may re- 
quire. The Detaining Power shall furthermore deliver to such 
prisoners of war a medical certificate enabling them to submit 
their claims to the Power on which they depend, and shall send 
a duplicate to the Central Prisoners of War Agency provided for 
in Article 123. (GPW, art. 

131. Medical Supervision 

The fitness of prisoners of war for work shall be periodically 
verified by medical examinations at least once a month. The 
examinations shall have particular regard to the nature of the 
work which prisoners of war are required to do. 

If any prisoner of war considers himself incapable of working, 
he shall be permitted to appear before the medical authorities 
of his camp. Physicians or surgeons may recommend that the 
prisoners who are, in their opinion, unfit for work, be exempted 
therefrom. (GPW, art. 65.) 

132. Labor Detachments 

The organization and administration of labour detachments 
shall be similar to those of prisoner of war camps. 

Every labour detachment shall remain under the control of and 
administratively part of a prisoner of war camp. The military 
authorities and the commander of the said camp shall be respon- 
sible, under the direction. of their government, for the observance 
of the provisions of the present Convention in labour detachments. 

The camp commander shall keep an up-to-date record of the 
labour detachments dependent on his camp, and shall communi- 
cate it to the delegates of the Protecting Power, of the Interna- 
tional Committee of the Red Cross, or of other agencies giving 
relief to prisoners of war, who may visit the camp. {GPW, 
art. 66.) 

133. Prisoners Working for Private Employers 

The treatment of prisoners of war who work for private per- 
sons, even if the latter are responsible for guarding and protect- 
ing them, shall not be inferior to that which is provided for by the 
present Convention. The Detaining Power, the military authori- 
ties and the commander of the camp to which such prisoners 
belong shall be entirely responsible for the maintenance, care, 



50 



treatment, and payment of the working pay of such prisoners of 
war. 

Such prisoners of war shall have the right to remain in com- 
munication with the prisoners' representatives in the camps on 
which they depend. (GPW, art. 57.) 

Section XIII. FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF PRISONERS OF WAR 

134. Ready Money 

Upon the outbreak of hostilities, and pending an arrangement 
on this matter with the Protecting Power, the Detaining Power 
may determine the maximum amount of money in cash or in any 
similar form, that prisoners may have in their possession. Any 
amount in excess, which was properly in their possession and 
which has been taken or withheld from them, shall be placed to 
their account, together with any monies deposited by them, and 
shall not be converted into any other currency without their 
consent. 

If prisoners of war are permitted to purchase services or com- 
modities outside the camp against payment in cash, such payments 
shall be made by the prisoner himself or by the camp adminis- 
tration who will charge them to the accounts of the prisoners 
concerned. The Detaining Power will establish the necessary 
rules in this respect. (GPW, art. 68.) 

1 35. Amounts in Cash Taken From Prisoners 

Cash which was taken from prisoners of war, in accordance 
with Article 18, at the time of their capture, and which is in the 
currency of the Detaining Power, shall be placed to their separate 
accounts, in accordance with the provisions of Article 64 of the 
present Section. 

The amounts, in the currency of the Detaining Power, due to 
the conversion of sums in other currencies that are taken from 
the prisoners of war at the same time, shall also be credited to 
their separate accounts. ( GPW, art. 69.) 

1 36. Advances of Pay 

The Detaining Power shall grant all prisoners of war a monthly 
advance of pay, the amount of which shall be fixed by conversion, 
into the currency of the said Power, of the following amounts: 
Category I : Prisoners ranking below sergeants: eight 
Swiss francs. 

Category II : Sergeants and other non-commissioned of- 
ficers, or prisoners of equivalent rank: twelve 
Swiss francs. 



51 



Category III : Warrant officers and commissioned officers be* 
low the rank of major or prisoners of equiv- 
alent rank: fifty Swiss francs. 
Category IV : Majors, lieutenant-colonels, colonels, or pris- 
oners of equivalent rank: sixty Swiss francs. 
Category V : General officers or prisoners of war of equiv- 
alent rank: seventy-five Swiss francs. 
However, the Parties to the conflict concerned may by special 
agreement modify the amount of advances of pay due to prisoners 
of the preceding categories. 

Furthermore, if the amounts indicated in the first paragraph 
above would be unduly high compared with the pay of the Detain- 
ing Power's armed forces or would, for any reason, seriously em- 
barrass the Detaining Power, then, pending the conclusion of a 
special agreement with the Power on which the prisoners depend 
to vary the amounts indicated above, the Detaining Power: 

(a) shall continue to credit the accounts of the prisoners with 

the amounts indicated in the first paragraph above; 
(ft) may temporarily limit the amount made available from 
these advances of pay to prisoners of war for their own 
use, to sums which are reasonable, but -which, for Category 
I, shall never be inferior to the amount that the Detaining 
Power gives to the members of its own armed forces. 
The reasons for any limitations will be given without delay to 
the Protecting Power. {GPW, art. 60.) 

137. Supplementary Pay 

The Detaining Power shall accept for distribution as supple- 
mentary pay to prisoners of war sums which the Power on which 
the prisoners depend may forward to them, on condition that 
the sums to be paid shall be the same for each prisoner of the 
same category, shall be payable to all prisoners of that category 
depending on that Power, and shall be placed in their separate 
accounts, at the earliest opportunity, in accordance with the pro- 
visions of Article 64. Such supplementary pay shall not relieve 
the Detaining Power of any obligation under this Convention. 
{GPW, art. 61.) 

138. Working Pay 

Prisoners of war shall be paid a fair working rate of pay by 
the detaining authorities direct. The rate shall be fixed by the 
said authorities, but shall at no time be less than one-fourth of 
one Swiss franc for a full working day. The Detaining Power 
shall inform prisoners of war, as well as the Power on which they 
depend, through the intermediary of the Protecting Power, of 
the rate of daily working pay that it has fixed. 



52 



Working pay shall likewise be paid by the detaining authorities 
to prisoners of war permanently detailed to duties or to a skilled 
or semi-skilled occupation in connection with the administration, 
installation or maintenance of camps, and to the prisoners who 
are required to carry out spiritual, or medical duties on behalf 
of their comrades. 

The working pay of the prisoners' representative, of his ad- 
visers, if any, and of his assistants, shall be paid out of the fund 
maintained by canteen profits. The scale of this working pay 
shall be fixed by the prisoners' representative and approved by the 
camp commander. If there is no such fund, the detaining au- 
thorities shall pay these prisoners a fair working rate of pay. 
(GPW, art. 62.) 

1 39. Transfer of Funds 

Prisoners of war shall be permitted to receive remittances of 
money addressed to them individually or collectively. 

Every prisoner of war shall have at his disposal the credit bal- 
ance of his account as provided for in the following Article, within 
the limits fixed by the Detaining Power, which shall make such 
payments as are requested. Subject to financial or monetary 
restrictions which the Detaining Power regards as essential, pris- 
oners of war may also have payments made abroad. In this case 
payments addressed by prisoners of war to dependents shall be 
given priority. 

In any event, and subject to the consent of the Power on which 
they depend, prisoners may have payments made in their own 
country, as follows: the Detaining Power shall send to the afore- 
said Power through the Protecting Power, a notification giving all 
the necessary particulars concerning the prisoners of war, the 
beneficiaries of the payments, and the amount of the sums to be 
paid, expressed in the Detaining Power's currency. The said noti- 
fication shall be signed by the prisoners and countersigned by the 
camp commander. The Detaining Power shall debit the pris- 
oners' account by a corresponding amount; the sums thus debited 
shall be placed by it to the credit of the Power on which the pris- 
oners depend. 

To apply the foregoing provisions, the Detaining Power may 
usefully consult the Model Regulations in Annex V of the present 
Convention. ( GPW, art. 63.) 

1 40. Prisoners' Accounts 

The Detaining Power shall hold an account for each prisoner 
of war, showing at least the following: 

(1) The amounts due to the prisoner or received by him as 
advances of pay, as working pay or derived from any 



53 



other source ; the sums in the currency of the Detaining 
Power which were taken from him; the sums taken front 
him and converted at his request into the currency of the 
said Power. 

(2) The payments made to the prisoner in cash, or in any other 
similar form; the payments made on his behalf and at his 
request; the sum transferred under Article 63, third 
paragraph. (GPW, art. 6}.) 

141. Management of Prisoners' Accounts 

Every item entered into the account of a prisoner of war shall 
be countersigned or initialled by him, or by the prisoners' repre- 
sentative acting on his behalf. 

Prisoners of war shall at all times be afforded reasonable 
facilities for consulting and obtaining copies of their accounts, 
which may likewise be inspected by the representatives of the 
Protecting Powers at the time of visits to the camp. 

When prisoners of war are transferred from one camp to an- 
other, their personal accounts will follow them. In case of trans- 
fer from one Detaining Power to another, the monies which are 
their property and are not in the currency of the Detaining Power 
will follow them. They shall be given certificates for any other 
monies standing to the credit of their accounts. 

The Parties to the conflict concerned may agree to notify to 
each other at specific intervals through the Protecting Power, 
the amount of the accounts of the prisoners of war. (GPW, 
arti 65.) 

142. Winding Up of Accounts 

On the termination of captivity, through the release of a pris- 
oner of war or his repatriation, the Detaining Power shall give 
him. a statement, signed by an authorized officer of that Power, 
showing the credit balance then due to him. The Detaining 
Power shall also send through the Protecting Power to the gov- 
ernment upon which the prisoner of war depends, lists giving all 
appropriate particulars of all prisoners of war whose captivity 
has been terminated by repatriation, release, escape, death or any 
other means, and showing the amount of their credit balances. 
Such lists shall be certified on each sheet by an authorized repre- 
sentative of the Detaining Power. 

Any of the above provisions of this Article may be varied by 
mutual agreement between any two Parties to the conflict. 

The Power on which the prisoner of war depends shall be re- 
sponsible for settling with him any credit balance due to him 
from the Detaining Power on the termination of his captivity. 
{GPW, art. 66.) 



54 



143. Adjustments Between Parties to the Conflict 

Advances of pay, issued to prisoners of war in conformity 
with Article 60, shall be considered as made on behalf of the 
Power on which they depend. Such advances of pay, as well as 
all payments made by the said Power under Article 63, third 
paragraph, and Article 68, shall form the subject of arrange- 
ments between the Powers concerned, at the close of hostilities. 
{GPW, art. 67.) 

144. Claims for Compensation 

Any claim by a prisoner of war for compensation in respect 
of any injury or other disability arising out of work shall be 
referred to the Power on which he depends, through the Protect- 
ing Power. In accordance with Article 54, the Detaining Power 
will, in all cases, provide the prisoner of war concerned with a 
statement showing the nature of the injury or disability, the cir- 
cumstances in which it arose and particulars of medical or hos- 
pital treatment given for it. This statement will be signed by a 
responsible officer of the Detaining Power and the medical par- 
ticulars certified by a medical officer. 

Any claim by a prisoner of war for compensation in respect 
of personal effects, monies or valuables impounded by the De- 
taining Power under Article 18 and not forthcoming on his 
repatriation, or in respect of loss alleged to be due to the fault 
of the Detaining Power or any of its servants, shall likewise be 
referred to the Power on which he depends. Nevertheless, any 
such personal effects required for use by the prisoners of war 
whilst in captivity shall be replaced at the expense of the De- 
taining Power. The Detaining Power will, in all cases, provide 
the prisoner of war with a statement, signed by a responsible 
officer, showing all available information regarding the reasons 
why such effects, monies or valuables have not been restored to 
him. A copy of this statement will be forwarded to the Power 
on which he depends through the Central Prisoners of War 
Agency provided for in Article 123. (GPW, art. 68.) 

Section XIV. RELATIONS OF PRISONERS OF WAR WITH THE EXTERIOR 

145. Notification of Measures Taken 

Immediately upon prisoners of war falling into its power, the 
Detaining Power shall inform them and the Powers on which 
they depend, through the Protecting Power, of the measures 
taken to carry out the provisions of the present Section. They 
shall likewise inform the parties concerned of any subsequent 
modifications of such measures. (GPW, art. 69.) 



55 



146. Capture Card 

Immediately upon capture, or not more than one week after 
arrival at a camp, even if it is a transit camp, likewise in case of 
sickness or transfer to hospital or to another camp, every prisoner 
of war shall be enabled to write direct to his family, on the one 
hand, and to the Central Prisoners of War Agency provided for 
in Article 123, on the other hand, a card similar, if possible, to the 
model annexed to the present Convention, informing his relatives 
of his capture, address and state of health. The said cards shall 
be forwarded as rapidly as possible and may not be delayed in 
any manner. (GPW, art. 70.) 

147. Correspondence 

Prisoners of war shall be allowed to send and receive letters 
and cards. If the Detaining Power deems it necessary to limit 
the number of letters and cards sent by each prisoner of war, 
the said number shall not be less than two letters and four cards 
monthly, exclusive of the capture cards provided for in Article 70, 
and conforming as closely as possible to the models annexed to 
the present Convention. Further limitations may be imposed 
only if the Protecting Power is satisfied that it would be in the 
interests of the prisoners of war concerned to do so owing to 
difficulties of translation caused by the Detaining Power's in- 
ability to find sufficient qualified linguists to carry out the neces- 
sary censorship. If limitations must be placed on the correspond- 
ence addressed to prisoners of war, they may be ordered only by 
the Power on which the prisoners depend, possibly at the request 
of the Detaining Power. Such letters and cards must be con- 
veyed by the most rapid method at the disposal of the Detaining 
Power; they may not be delayed or retained for disciplinary 
reasons. 

Prisoners of war who have been without news for a long period, 
or who are unable to receive news from their next of kin or to 
give them news by the ordinary postal route, as well as those 
who are at a great distance from their homes, shall be permitted 
to send telegrams, the fees being charged against the prisoners 
of war's accounts with the Detaining Power or paid in the cur- 
rency at their disposal. They shall likewise benefit by this meas- 
ure in cases of urgency. 

As a general rule, the Correspondence of prisoners of war shall 
be written in their native language. The Parties to the conflict 
may allow correspondence in other languages. 

Sacks containing prisoner of war mail must be securely sealed 
and labeled so as clearly to indicate their contents, and must be 
addressed to offices of destination. (GPW, art. 71.) 



56 



148. Relief Shipments 

Prisoners of war shall be allowed to receive by post or by any 
other means individual parcels or collective shipments contain- 
ing, in particular, foodstuffs, clothing, medical supplies and arti- 
cles of a religious, educational or recreational character which 
may meet their needs, including books, devotional articles, scien- 
tific equipment, examination papers, musical instruments, sports 
outfits and materials allowing prisoners of war to pursue their 
studies or their cultural activities. 

Such shipments shall in no way free the Detaining Power 
from the obligations imposed upon it by virtue of the present 
Convention, 

The only limits which may be placed on these shipments shall 
be those proposed by the Protecting Power in the interest of the 
prisoners themselves, or by the International Committee of the 
Red Cross or any other organization giving assistance to the 
prisoners, in respect of their own shipments only, on account 
of exceptional strain on transport or communications. 

The conditions for the sending of individual parcels and col- 
lective relief shall, if necessary, be the subject of special agree- 
ments between the Powers concerned, which may in no case 
delay the receipt by the prisoners of relief supplies. Books may 
not be included in parcels of clothing and foodstuffs. Medical 
supplies shall, as a rule, be sent in collective parcels. {GPW, 
art. 72.) 

149. Special Agreements for Collective Relief Shipments 

In the absence of special agreements between the Powers con- 
cerned on the conditions for the receipt and distribution of col- 
lective relief shipments, the rules and regulations concerning 
collective shipments, which are annexed to the present Conven- 
tion, shall be applied. 

The special agreements referred to above shall in no case 
restrict the right of prisoners' representatives to take possession 
of collective relief shipments intended for prisoners of war, to 
proceed to their distribution or to dispose of them in the interest 
of the prisoners. 

Nor shall such agreements restrict the right of representatives 
of the Protecting Power, the International Committee of the Red 
Cross or any other organization giving assistance to prisoners of 
war and responsible for the forwarding of collective shipments, 
to supervise their distribution to the recipients. (GPW, art. 78.) 



57 



150. Exemption From Postal and Transport Charges 

a. Treaty Provision. 

All relief shipments for prisoners of war shall be exempt from 
import, customs and other dues. 

Correspondence, relief shipments and authorized remittances 
of money addressed to prisoners of war or despatched by them 
through the post office, either direct or through the Information 
Bureaux provided for in Article 122 and the Central Prisoners of 
War Agency provided for in Article 123, shall be exempt from 
any postal dues, both in the countries of origin and destination, 
and in intermediate countries. 

If relief shipments intended for prisoners of war cannot be 
sent through the post office by reason of weight or for any other 
cause, the cost of transportation shall be borne by the Detaining 
Power in all the territories under its control. The other Powers 
party to the Convention shall bear the cost of transport in their 
respective territories. 

In the absence of special agreements between the Parties con- 
cerned, the costs connected with transport of such shipments, 
other than costs covered by the above exemption, shall be charged 
to the senders. 

The High Contracting Parties shall endeavour to reduce, so far 
as possible, the rates charged for telegrams sent by prisoners of 
war, or addressed to them. (GPW, art. 74-) 

b. The Universal Postal Convention provides that correspondence, 
parcel post, insured letters and boxes and postal money orders ad- 
dressed to, or sent "by, prisoners of war and interned civilians are 
exempt from postal charges. (Article 37, Universal Postal Conven- 
tion of 1952, T.I. A. S. 2800.) 

To enjoy these franking privileges the article must bear the nota- 
tion "Service des prisonniers de guerre" (Prisoners of War Service) 
or "Service des internes" (Internees Service) which may be followed 
by a translation. 

151. Special Means of Transport 

Should military operations prevent the Powers concerned from 
fulfilling their obligation to assure the transport of the ship- 
ments referred to in Articles 70, 71, 72 and 77, the Protecting 
Powers concerned, the International Committee of the Red Cross 
or any other organization duly approved by the Parties to the 
conflict may undertake to ensure the conveyance, of such ship- 
ments by suitable means (railway wagons, motor vehicles, vessels 
or aircraft, etc.). For this purpose, the High Contracting Parties 
shall endeavour to supply them with such transport and to allow 
its circulation, especially by granting the necessary safe-conducts. 

Such transport may also be used to convey: 



58 



(a) correspondence, lists and reports exchanged between the 
Central Information Agency referred to in Article 123 
and the National Bureaux referred to in Article 122; 

(b) correspondence and reports relating to prisoners of war 
which the Protecting Powers, the International Com- 
mittee of the Red Cross or any other body assisting the 
prisoners, exchange either with their own delegates or 
with the Parties to the conflict 

These provisions in no way detract from the right of any Party 
to the conflict to arrange other means of transport, if it should so 
prefer, nor preclude the granting of safe-conducts, under mutu- 
ally agreed conditions, to such means of transport. 

In the absence of special agreements, the costs occasioned by 
the use of such means of transport shall be borne proportionately 
by the Parties to the conflict whose nationals are benefited thereby. 
{GPW,art.75.) 

152. Censorship, and Examination 

The censoring of correspondence addressed to prisoners of war 
or despatched by them shall be done as quickly as possible. Mail 
shall be censored only by the despatching State and the receiving 
State, and once only by each. 

The examination of consignments intended for prisoners of war 
shall not be carried out under conditions that will expose the 
goods contained in them to deterioration; except in the case of 
written or printed matter, it shall be done in the presence of the 
addressee, or of a fellow-prisoner duly delegated by him. The 
delivery to prisoners of individual or collective consignments shall 
not be delayed under the pretext of difficulties of censorship. 

Any prohibition of correspondence ordered by Parties to the 
conflict, either for military or political reasons, shall be only 
temporary and its duration shall be as short as possible.- (GPW, 
art. 76.) 

153. Preparation, Execution, and Transmission of Legal Documents 
The Detaining Powers shall provide all facilities for the trans- 
mission, through .the Protecting Power or the Central Prisoners 
of War Agency provided for in Article 123, of instruments, papers 
or documents intended for prisoners of war or despatched by them, 
especially powers of attorney and wills. 

In all cases they shall facilitate the preparation and execution 
of such documents on behalf of prisoners of war; in particular, 
they shall allow them to consult a lawyer and shall take what 
measures are necessary for the authentication of their signatures. 
(GPW, art. 77.) 



59 



Section XV. RELATIONS OF PRISONERS OF WAR AND THE AUTHORITIES 



154. Complaints and Requests 

Prisoners of war shall have the right to make known to the 
military authorities in whose power they are, their requests re- 
garding the conditions of captivity to which they are subjected. 

They shall also have the unrestricted right to apply to the 
representatives of the Protecting Powers either through their 
prisoners' representative or, if they consider it necessary, direct, 
in order to draw their attention to any points on which they may 
have complaints to make regarding their conditions of captivity. 

These requests and complaints shall not be limited nor con- 
sidered to be a part of the correspondence quota referred to in 
Article 71. They must be transmitted, immediately. Even if 
they are recognized to be unfounded, they may not give rise to 
any punishment. 

Prisoners' representatives may send periodic reports on the 
situation in the camps and the needs of the prisoners of war to 
the representatives of the Protecting Powers. (GPW, art. 78.) 

155. Election of Prisoners' Representatives 

In all places where there are prisoners of war, except- in those 
where there are officers, the prisoners shall freely elect by secret 
ballot, every six months, and also in case of vacancies, prisoners' 
representatives entrusted with representing them before the mili- 
tary authorities, the Protecting Powers, the International Com- 
mittee of the Red Cross and any other organization which may 
assist them. These prisoners' representatives shall be eligible 
for re-election. 

In camps for officers and persons of equivalent status or in 
mixed camps, the senior officer among the prisoners of war shall 
be recognized as the camp prisoners' representative. In camps 
for officers, he shall be assisted by one or more advisers chosen 
by the officers; in mixed camps, his assistants shall be chosen 
from among the prisoners of war who are not officers and shall 
be elected by them. 

Officer prisoners of war of the same nationality shall be sta- 
tioned in labour camps for prisoners of war, for the purpose of 
carrying out the camp administration duties for which the pris- 
oners of war are responsible. These officers may be elected as 
prisoners' representatives under the first paragraph of this Arti- 
cle. In such a case the assistants to the prisoners' representa- 
tives shall be chosen from among those prisoners of war who are 
not officers. 

Every representative elected must be approved by the Detaining 
Power before he has the right to commence his duties. Where 



60 



the Detaining Power refuses to approve a prisoner of war elected 
by his fellow prisoners of war, it must inform the Protecting 
Power of the reason for such refusal. 

In all cases the prisoners' representative must have the same 
nationality, language and customs as the prisoners of war whom 
he represents. Thus, prisoners of war distributed in different 
sections of a camp, according to their nationality, language or 
customs, shall have for each section their own prisoners' repre- 
sentative, in accordance with the foregoing paragraphs. {GPW, 
art. 79.) 

156. Duties of Prisoners' Representatives 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Prisoners' representatives shall further the physical, spiritual 
and intellectual well-being of prisoners of war. 

In particular, where the prisoners decide to organize amongst 
themselves a system of mutual assistance, this organization will 
be within the province of the prisoners' representative, in addi- 
tion to the special duties entrusted to him by other provisions of 
the present Convention. 

Prisoners' representatives shall not be held responsible, simply 
by reason of their duties, for any offences committed by prisoners 
of war. (GPW, art. 80.) 

b. Rights and Duties. The rights and duties of prisoners' repre- 
sentatives are set forth in the following articles of GPW: 57 (par. 
133) ; 78-81 (pars. 154-157) ; 98 (par. 174) ; 104 (par. 180) ; 107 (par. 
183) ; 125 (par. 206) ; and 127 (par. 14). 

157. Prerogatives of Prisoners' Representatives 

Prisoners' representatives shall not be required to perform any 
other work, if the accomplishment of their duties is thereby made 
more difficult. 

Prisoners' representatives may appoint from amongst the pris- 
oners such assistants as they may require. All material facilities 
shall be granted them, particularly a certain freedom of move- 
ment necessary for the accomplishment of their duties (inspection 
of labour detachments, receipt of supplies, etc.). 

Prisoners' representatives shall be permitted to visit premises 
where prisoners of war are detained, and every prisoner of war 
shall have the right to consult freely his prisoners' representative. 

All facilities shall likewise be accorded to the prisoners' repre- 
sentatives for communication by post and telegraph with the de- 
taining authorities, the Protecting Powers, the International 
Committee of the Red Cross and their delegates, the Mixed Medi- 
cal Commissions and the bodies which give assistance to prisoners 
of war. Prisoners' representatives of labour detachments shall 



684524 0-63 — 5 



61 



enjoy the same facilities for communication with the prisoners' 
representatives of the principal camp. Such communications 
shall not be restricted, nor considered as forming a part of the 
quota mentioned in Article 71. 

Prisoners' representatives who are transferred shall be allowed 
a reasonable time to acquaint their successors with current 
affairs. 

In case of dismissal, the reasons therefor shall be communi- 
cated to the Protecting Power. (GPW, art. 81.) 

Section XVI. PENAL AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS 

158. Applicable Legislation 

a. Prisoners of War, 

A prisoner of war shall be subject to the laws, regulations 
and orders in force in the armed forces of the Detaining Power; 
the Detaining Power shall be justified in taking judicial or dis- 
ciplinary measures in respect of any offence committed by a 
prisoner of war against such laws, regulations or orders. How- 
ever, no proceedings or punishments contrary to the provisions 
of this Chapter shall be allowed. 

If any law, regulation or order of the Detaining Power shall 
declare acts committed by a prisoner of war to be punishable, 
whereas the same acts would not be punishable if committed by a 
member of the forces of the Detaining Power, such acts shall en- 
tail disciplinary punishments only. {GPW, art, 82.) 

b. Retained Medical Personnel, Chaplains, and Persons of Like 
Status. Retained medical personnel, chaplains, and persons of like 
status benefit from the disciplinary and penal safeguards prescribed 
by Articles 82-108, GPW (pars. 158-184). 

1 59. Choice of Disciplinary or Judicial Proceeding 

In deciding whether proceedings in respect of an offence al- 
leged to have been committed by a prisoner of war shall be judicial 
or disciplinary, the Detaining Power shall ensure that the com- 
petent authorities exercise the greatest leniency and adopt, wher- 
ever possible, disciplinary rather than judicial measures. (GPW, 
art. 83,) 

160. Courts 

A prisoner of war shall be tried only by a military court, unless 
existing laws of the Detaining Power expressly permit the civil 
courts to try a member of the armed forces of the Detaining 
Power in respect of the particular offence alleged to have been 
committed by the prisoner of war. 

In no circumstances whatever shall a prisoner of war be tried 
by a court of any kind which does not offer the essential guaran- 



62 



tees of independence and impartiality as generally recognized, 
and, in particular, the procedure of which does not afford the 
accused the rights and means of defence provided for in Article 
105. {GPW, art. 8£.) 

161. Acts Committed Before Capture 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Prisoners of war prosecuted under the laws of the Detaining 
Power for acts committed prior to capture shall retain, even if 
convicted, the benefits of the present Convention. {GPW, art. 85. ) 

b. Applicability. The foregoing provision applies only to person- 
nel who are entitled to treatment as prisoners of war, including pris- 
oners accused of war crimes under international or national law. 

c. In signing and ratifying GPW several nations indicated that 
they would not consider themselves bound by the obligation which 
follows from the foregoing provision to extend the application of the 
Convention to prisoners of war who have been convicted of having 
committed war crimes and crimes against humanity and that per- 
sons so convicted would be subject to the conditions obtaining in the 
country in question for those who undergo punishment. 

162. Repetition of Punishment 

No prisoner of war may be punished more than once for the 
same act or on the same charge. (GPW, art. 86.) 

163. Penalties 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Prisoners of war may not be sentenced by the military authori- 
ties and courts of the Detaining Power to any penalties except 
those provided for in respect of members of the armed forces of 
the said Power who have committed the same acts. 

When fixing the penalty, the courts or authorities of the De- 
taining Power shall take into consideration, to the widest extent 
possible, the fact that the accused, not being a national of the 
Detaining Power, is not bound to it by any duty of allegiance, and 
that he is in its power as the result of circumstances independent 
of his own will. The said courts or authorities shall be at liberty 
to reduce the penalty provided for the violation of which the pris- 
oner of war is accused, and shall therefore not be bound to apply 
the minimum penalty prescribed. 

Collective punishment for individual acts, corporal punish- 
ment, imprisonment in premises without daylight and, in general, 
any form of torture or cruelty, are forbidden. 

No prisoner of war may be deprived of his rank by the Detaining 
Power, or prevented from wearing his badges. {GPW, art. 87.) 

b. Persons to Whom Applicable. The foregoing provision applies 



63 



only to personnel who are entitled to treatment as prisoners of war, 
including prisoners accused of war crimes. 

164. Execution of Penalties 

Officers, non-commissioned officers and men who are prisoners 
of war undergoing a disciplinary or judicial punishment, shall not 
be subjected to more severe treatment than that applied in respect 
of the same punishment to members of the armed forces of the 
Detaining Power of equivalent rank. 

A woman prisoner of war shall not be awarded or sentenced to 
a punishment more severe, or treated whilst undergoing punish- 
ment more severely, than a woman member of the armed forces 
of the Detaining Power dealt with for a similar offence. 

In no case may a woman prisoner of war be awarded or sen- 
tenced to a punishment more severe, or treated whilst undergoing 
punishment more severely, than a male member of the armed 
forces of the Detaining Power dealt with for a similar offence. 

Prisoners of war who have served disciplinary or judicial sen- 
tences may not be treated differently from other prisoners of 
war. (GPW,art.88.) 

165. Forms of Disciplinary Punishment 

The disciplinary punishments applicable to prisoners of war 
are the following: 

(1) A fine which shall not exceed 50 per cent of the advances 
of pay and working pay which the prisoner of war would 
otherwise receive under the. provisions of Articles 60 and 
62 during a period of not more than thirty days. 

(2) Discontinuance of privileges granted over and above the 
treatment provided for by the present Convention. 

(3) Fatigue duties not exceeding two hours daily. 

(4) Confinement. 

The punishment referred to under (3) shall not be applied to 
officers. 

In no case shall disciplinary punishments be inhuman, brutal 
or dangerous to the health of prisoners of war. {GPW, art. 89,) 

166. Duration of Disciplinary Punishment 

The duration of any single punishment shall in no case exceed 
thirty days. Any period of confinement awaiting the hearing of 
a disciplinary offence or the award of disciplinary punishment 
shall be deducted from an award pronounced against a prisoner 
of war. 

The maximum of thirty days provided above may not be ex- 
ceeded, even if the prisoner of war is answerable for several acts 



64 



at the same time when he is awarded punishment, whether such 
acts are related or not. 

The period between the pronouncing of an award of disciplinary 
punishment and its execution shall not exceed one month. 

When a prisoner of war is awarded a further disciplinary pun- 
ishment, a period of at least three days shall elapse between the 
execution of any two of the punishments, if the duration of one 
of these is ten days or more. {GPW, art. 90.) 

167. Successful Escape 

The escape of a prisoner of war shall be deemed to have suc- 
ceeded when: 

(1) he has joined the armed forces of the Power on which he 
depends, or those of an allied Power; 

(2) he has left the territory under the control of the De- 
taining Power, or of an ally of the said Power; 

(3) he has joined a ship flying the flag of the Power on which 
he depends, or of an allied Power, in the territorial 
waters of the Detaining Power, the said ship not being 
under the control of the last named Power. 

Prisoners of war who have made good their escape in the sense 
of this Article and who are recaptured, shall not be liable to any 
punishment in respect of their previous escape. (GPW, art. 91$ 

168. Unsuccessful Escape 

A prisoner of war who attempts to escape and is recaptured 
before having made good his escape in the sense of Article 91 
shall be liable only to a disciplinary punishment in respect of 
this act, even if it is a repeated offence, 

A prisoner of war who is recaptured shall be handed over with- 
out delay to the competent military authority. 

Article 88, fourth paragraph, notwithstanding, prisoners of 
war punished as a result of an unsuccessful escape may be sub- 
jected to special surveillance. Such surveillance must not affect 
the state of their health, must be undergone in a prisoner of 
war camp, and must not entail the suppression of any of the safe- 
guards granted them by the present Convention. (GPW, art. 92.) 

169. Connected Offenses 

Escape or attempt to escape, even if it is a repeated offence, shall 
not be deemed an aggravating circumstance if the prisoner of war 
is subjected to trial by judicial proceedings in respect of an 
offence committed during his escape or attempt to escape. 

In conformity with the principle stated in Article 83, offences 
committed by prisoners of war with the sole intention of fa- 
cilitating their escape and which do not entail any violence 



65 



against life or limb, such as offences against public property, theft 
without intention of self-enrichment, the drawing up or use of 
false papers, or the wearing of civilian clothing, shall occasion 
disciplinary punishment only. 

Prisoners of war who aid or abet an escape or an attempt to 
escape shall be liable on this count to disciplinary punishment 
only. (GPW,art. 93.) 

170. Notification of Recapture 

If an escaped prisoner of war is recaptured, the Power on which 
he depends shall be notified thereof in the manner defined in 
Article 122, provided notification of his escape has been made. 

(GPW, art. H.) 

171. Confinement Awaiting Hearing 

A prisoner of war accused of an offence against discipline shall 
not be kept in confinement pending the hearing unless a member 
of the armed forces of the Detaining Power would be so kept if 
he were accused of a similar offence, or if it is essential in the 
interests of camp order and discipline. 

Any period spent by a prisoner of war in confinement awaiting 
the disposal of an offense against discipline shall be reduced 
to an absolute minimum and shall not exceed fourteen days. 

The provisions of Articles 97 and 98 of this Chapter shall apply 
to prisoners of war who are In confinement awaiting the disposal 
of offences against discipline. (GPW t art. 95.) 

172. Competent Authorities and Right of Defense 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Acts which constitute offences against discipline shall be in- 
vestigated immediately. 

Without prejudice to the competence of courts and superior 
military authorities, disciplinary punishment may be ordered 
only by an officer having disciplinary powers in his capacity as 
camp commander, or by a responsible officer who replaces him or 
to whom, he has delegated his disciplinary powers. 

In no case may such powers be delegated to a prisoner of war 
or be exercised by a prisoner of war. 

Before any disciplinary award is pronounced, the accused shall 
be given precise information regarding the offences of which he 
is accused, and given an opportunity of explaining his conduct 
and of defending himself. He shall be permitted, in particular, 
to call witnesses and to have recourse, if necessary, to the services 
of a qualified interpreter. The decision shall be announced to the 
accused prisoner of war and to the prisoners' representative. 



66 



A record of disciplinary punishments shall be maintained by 
the camp commander and shall be open to inspection by repre- 
sentatives of the Protecting Power. (GPW, art. 96.) 

b. Officers Exercising Disciplinary Jurisdiction. Either a camp 
commander, or a responsible officer who replaces him, or an officer to 
whom he has delegated disciplinary powers may impose disciplinary 
punishments on prisoners of war interned by the United States within 
the permissible limits established in Article 89, GPW (par. 165). It 
is not necessary that he be designated as summary court officer, and he 
is not subject to the limitations on the duration of commanding officers' 
nonjudicial punishment established by Article 15 of the Uniform Code 
of Military Justice. 

173. Premises for Execution of Punishment 

Prisoners of war shall not in any case be transferred to peni- 
tentiary establishments (prisons, penitentiaries, convict prisons, 
etc.) to undergo disciplinary punishment therein. 

All premises in which disciplinary punishments are undergone 
shall conform to the sanitary requirements set forth in Article 25. 
A prisoner of war undergoing punishment shall be enabled to 
keep himself in a state of cleanliness, in conformity with Article 
29. 

Officers and persons of equivalent status shall not be lodged in 
the same quarters as non-commissioned officers or men. 

Women prisoners of war undergoing disciplinary punishment 
shall be confined in separate quarters from male prisoners of war 
and shall be under the immediate supervision of women. (GPW, 
art. 97.) 

174. Essential Safeguards During Punishment 

A prisoner of war undergoing confinement as a disciplinary 
punishment, shall continue to enjoy the benefits of the provisions 
of this Convention except in so far as these are necessarily ren- 
dered inapplicable by the mere fact that he is confined. In no 
case may he be deprived of the benefits of the provisions of 
Articles 78 and 126. 

A prisoner of war awarded disciplinary punishment may not 
be deprived of the prerogatives attached to his rank. 

Prisoners of war awarded disciplinary punishment shall be al- 
lowed to exercise and to stay in the open air at least two hours 
daily. 

They shall be allowed, on their request, to be present at the 
daily medical inspections. They shall receive the attention which 
their state of health requires and, if necessary, shall be removed 
to the camp infirmary or to a hospital. 



67 



They shall have permission to read and write, likewise to send 
and receive letters. Parcels and remittances of money however, 
may be withheld from them until the completion of the punish- 
ment; they shall meanwhile be entrusted to the prisoners' repre- 
sentative, who will hand over to the infirmary the perishable 
goods contained in such parcels. {GPW, art. 98.) 

175. Judicial Proceedings: General Principles 

No prisoner of war may be tried or sentenced for an act which 
is not forbidden by the law of the Detaining Power or by inter- 
national law, in force at the time the said act was committed. 

No moral or physical coercion may be exerted on a prisoner of 
war in order to induce him to admit himself guilty of the act of 
which he is accused. 

No prisoner of war may be convicted without having had an 
opportunity to present his defence and the assistance of a quali- 
fied advocate or counsel. {GPW, art. 99.) 

176. Death Penalty 

Prisoners of war and the Protecting Powers shall be informed 
as soon as possible of the offences which are punishable by the 
death sentence under the laws of the Detaining Power. 

Other offences shall not thereafter be made punishable by the 
death penalty without the concurrence of the Power on which the 
prisoners of war depend. 

The death sentence cannot be pronounced on a prisoner of war 
unless the attention of the court has, in accordance with Article 
87, second paragraph, been particularly called to the fact that 
since the accused is not a national of the Detaining Power, he is not 
bound to it by any duty of allegiance, and that he is in its power 
as the result of circumstances independent of his own will. 
{GPW, art. 100.) 

1 77. Delay in Execution of the Death Penalty 

If the death penalty is pronounced on a prisoner of war, the 
sentence shall not be executed before the expiration of a period 
of at least six months from the date when the Protecting Power 
receives, at an indicated address, the detailed communication 
provided for in Article 107. {GPW, art. 101.) 

1 78. Conditions for Validity of Sentence 

a. Treaty Provision. 

A prisoner of war can be validly sentenced only if the sentence 
has been pronounced by the same courts according to the same 
procedure as in the case of members of the armed forces of the 
Detaining Power, and if, furthermore, the provisions of the pres- 
ent Chapter have been observed. {GPW, art. 102.) 



68 



b. Interpretation. Prisoners of war, including those accused of 
war crimes against whom judicial proceedings are instituted, are sub- 
ject to the jurisdiction of United States courts-martial and military 
commissions. They are entitled to the same procedural safeguards 
accorded to military personnel of the United States who are tried by 
courts-martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice or by 
other military tribunals under the laws of war. (See UCMJ, arts. 
£ (9), 18, and SI.) 

179. Confinement Awaiting Trial 

Judicial investigations relating to a prisoner of war shall be 
conducted as rapidly as circumstances permit and so that his trial 
shall take place as soon as possible. A prisoner of war shall not 
be confined while awaiting trial unless a member of the armed 
forces of the Detaining Power would be so confined if he were 
accused of a similar offence, or if it is essential to do so in the 
interests of national security. In no circumstances shall this 
confinement exceed three months. 

Any period spent by a prisoner of war in confinement awaiting 
trial shall be deducted from any sentence of imprisonment passed 
upon him and taken into account in fixing any penalty. 

The provisions of Articles 97 and 98 of this Chapter shall apply 
to a prisoner of war whilst in confinement awaiting trial. (GPW, 
art. 103.) 

180. Notification of Proceedings 

In any case in which the Detaining Power has decided to in- 
stitute judicial proceedings against a prisoner of war, it shall 
notify the Protecting Power as soon as possible and at least three 
weeks before the opening of the trial. This period of three weeks 
shall run as from the day on which such notification reaches the 
Protecting Power at the address previously indicated by the latter 
to the Detaining Power. 

The said notification shall contain the following information: 

(1) Surname and first names of the prisoner of war, his rank, 
his army, regimental, personal or serial number, his date 
of birth, and his profession or trade, if any; 

(2) Place of internment or confinement; 

(3) Specification of the charge or charges on which the pris- 
oner of war is to be arraigned, giving the legal provisions 
applicable; 

(4) Designation of the court which will try the case, likewise 
the date and place fixed for the opening of the trial. 

The same communication shall be made by the Detaining Power 
to the prisoners' representative. 

If no evidence is submitted, at the opening of a trial, that the 
notification referred to above was received by the Protecting 



69 



Power, by the prisoner of war and by the prisoners' representative 
concerned, at least three weeks before the opening of the trial, 
then the latter cannot take place and must be adjourned. 

(GPW, art. 10k) 

181. Rights and Means of Defense 

The prisoner of war shall be entitled to assistance by one of his 
prisoner comrades, to defence by a qualified advocate or counsel 
of his own choice, to the calling of witnesses and, if he deems 
necessary, to the services of a competent interpreter. He shall be 
advised of these rights by the Detaining Power in due time before 
the trial. 

Failing a choice by the prisoner of war, the Protecting Power 
shall find him an advocate or counsel, and shall have at least one 
week at its disposal for the purpose. The Detaining Power shall 
deliver to the said Power, on request, a list of persons qualified 
to present the defence. Failing a choice of an advocate or coun- 
sel by the prisoner of war or the Protecting Power, the Detaining 
Power shall appoint a competent advocate or counsel to conduct 
the defence. 

The advocate or counsel conducting the defence on behalf of 
the prisoner of war shall have at his disposal a period of two 
weeks at least before the opening of the trial, as well as the neces- 
sary facilities to prepare the defence of the accused. He may, in 
particular, freely visit the accused and interview him in private. 
He may also confer with any witnesses for the defence, including 
prisoners of war. He shall have the benefit of these facilities 
until the term of appeal or petition has expired. 

Particulars of the charge or charges on which the prisoner of 
war is to be arraigned, as well as the documents which are gen- 
erally communicated to the accused by virtue of the laws in 
force in the armed forces of the Detaining Power, shall be com- 
municated to the accused prisoner of war in a language which he 
understands, and in good time before the opening of the trial. 
The same communication in the same circumstances shall be made 
to the advocate or counsel conducting the defence on behalf of 
the prisoner of war. 

The representatives of the Protecting Power shall be entitled 
to attend the trial of the case, unless, exceptionally, this is held 
in camera in the interest of State security. In such a case the 
Detaining Power shall advise the Protecting Power accordingly. 
{GPW, art. 105.) 

182. Appeals 

Every prisoner of war shall have, in the same manner as the 
members of the armed forces of the Detaining Power, the right 



70 



of appeal or petition from any sentence pronounced upon him, 
with a view to the quashing or revising of the sentence or the 
reopening of the trial. He shall be fully informed of his right 
to appeal or petition and of the time limit within which he may 

do so. (GPW,art.l06.) 

183. Notification of Finding and Sentence 

Any judgment and sentence pronounced upon a prisoner of 
war shall be immediately reported to the Protecting Power in 
the form of a summary communication, which shall also indicate 
whether he has the right of appeal with a view to the quashing 
of the sentence or the reopening of the trial. This communica- 
tion shall likewise be sent to the prisoners' representative con- 
cerned. It shall also be sent to the accused prisoner of war in 
a language he understands, if the sentence was not pronounced in 
his presence. The Detaining Power shall also immediately com- 
municate to the Protecting Power the decision of the prisoner of 
war to use or to waive his right of appeal. 

Furthermore, if a prisoner of war is finally convicted or if a 
sentence pronounced on a prisoner of war in the first instance is 
a death sentence, the Detaining Power shall as soon as possible 
address to the Protecting Power a detailed communication 
containing : 

(1) the precise wording of the finding and sentence; 

(2) a summarized report of any preliminary investigation 
and of the trial, emphasizing in particular the elements 
of the prosecution and the defence; 

(3) notification, where applicable, of the establishment where 
the sentence will be served. 

The communications provided for in the foregoing sub- 
paragraphs shall be sent to the Protecting Power at the address 
previously made known to the Detaining Power. (GPW, art. 107.) 

184. Execution of Penalties 

Sentences pronounced on prisoners of war after a conviction 
has become duly enforceable, shall be served in the same establish- 
ments and under the same conditions as in the case of members 
of the armed forces of the Detaining Power. These conditions 
shall in all cases conform to the requirements of health and 
humanity. 

A woman prisoner of war on whom such a sentence has been 
pronounced shall be confined in separate quarters and shall be 
under the supervision of women. 

In any case, prisoners of war sentenced to a penalty depriving 
them of their liberty shall retain the benefit of the provisions of 
Articles 78 and 126 of the present Convention. Furthermore, 



71 



they shall be entitled to receive and despatch correspondence, to 
receive at least one relief parcel monthly, to take regular exercise 
in the open air, to have the medical care required by their state 
of health, and the spiritual assistance they may desire. Penalties 
to which they may be subjected shall be in accordance with the 
provisions of Article 87, third paragraph. {GPW, art. 108.) 

Section XVII. TERMINATION OF CAPTIVITY 

T85. Parole Permitted If Laws of Their Country Allow 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Prisoners of war may be partially or wholly released on parole 
or promise, in so far as is allowed by the laws of the Power on 
which they depend. Such measures shall be taken particularly 
in cases where this may contribute to the improvement of their 
state of health. No prisoner of war shall be compelled to accept 
liberty on parole or promise. 

Upon the outbreak of hostilities, each Party to the conflict shall 
notify the adverse Party of the laws and regulations allowing or 
forbidding its own nationals to accept liberty on parole or promise. 
Prisoners of war who are paroled or who have given their promise 
in conformity with the laws and regulations so notified, are bound 
on their personal honour scrupulously to fulfil, both towards the 
Power on which they depend and towards the Power which has 
captured them, the engagements of their paroles or promises. 
In such cases, the Power on which they depend is bound neither 
to require nor to accept from them any service incompatible with 
the parole or promise given. (GPW, art. %1, 2d and 3d pars.) 

h. Violation of Parole. Persons who violate the terms of their 
paroles are, upon recapture, treated as prisoners of war but may be 
punished under the provisions of Article 134 of the Uniform Code 
of Military Justice for violation of parole. 

186. Form and Substance of Parole 

The parole should be in writing and signed by the prisoner. It 
should state in clear and unequivocal language exactly what acts the 
prisoner is obligated not to do, particularly as to whether he is bound 
to refrain from all acts against the captor or only from taking part 
directly in military operations. 

187. Parole of United States Personnel 

a. General Prohibition. Subject to the exception set forth in the 
following subparagraph, military personnel of the United States 
Army are forbidden to give their parole to a Detaining Power. 

b. Temporary Parole. A member of the United States Army may 
be authorized to give his parole to the enemy that he will not attempt 



72 



to escape, if such parole is authorized for the specific purpose of per- 
mitting him to perform certain acts materially contributing to the 
welfare of himself or of his fellow prisoners. SucH authorization 
will extend only for such a short period of time as is reasonably 
necessary for the performance of such acts and will not normally be 
granted solely to provide respite from the routine rigors of confine- 
ment or for other purely personal relief. A parole of this nature 
may be authorized, for example, to permit a prisoner to visit a medical 
establishment for treatment or to allow a medical officer or chaplain 
to carry out his normal duties. A member of the United States Army 
may give a parole of this nature only when specifically authorized 
to do so by the senior officer or non-commissioned officer exercising 
command authority. 

188. Direct Repatriation and Accommodation in Neutral Countries of 

Wounded and Sick 
Subject to the provisions of the third paragraph of this Article, 
Parties to the conflict are bound to send back to their own country, 
regardless of number or rank, seriously wounded and seriously 
sick prisoners of war, after having cared for them until they are 
fit to travel, in accordance with the first paragraph of the fol- 
lowing Article. 

Throughout the duration of hostilities, Parties to the conflict 
shall endeavour, with the cooperation of the neutral Powers con- 
cerned, to make arrangements for the accommodation in neutral 
countries of the sick and wounded prisoners of war referred to 
in the second paragraph of the following Article. They may, in 
addition, conclude agreements with a view to the direct repatria- 
tion or internment in a neutral country of able-bodied prisoners 
of war who have undergone a long period of captivity. 

No sick or injured prisoner of war who is eligible for repatria- 
tion under the first paragraph of this Article, may be repatriated 
against his will during hostilities. {GPW, art. 109.) 

189. Cases of Repatriation and Accommodation 
The following shall be repatriated direct: 

(1) Incurably wounded and sick whose mental or physical 
fitness seems to have been gravely diminished. 

(2) Wounded and sick who, according to medical opinion, are 
not likely to reeover within one year, whose condition 
requires treatment and whose mental or physical fitness 
seems to have been gravely diminished. 

(3) Wounded and sick who have recovered, but whose mental 
or physical fitness seems to have been gravely and perma- 
nently diminished* 



73 



The following may be accommodated in a neutral country: 

(1) Wounded and sick whose recovery may be expected 
within one year of the date of the wound or the beginning 
of the illness, if treatment in a neutral country might 
increase the prospects of a more certain and speedy 
recovery. 

(2) Prisoners of war whose mental or physical health, ac- 
cording to medical opinion, is seriously threatened by 
continued captivity, but whose accommodation in a 
neutral country might remove such a threat. 

The conditions which prisoners of war accommodated in a 
neutral country must fulfill in order to permit their repatriation 
shall be fixed, as shall likewise their status, by agreement between 
the Powers concerned. In general, prisoners of war who have 
been accommodated in a neutral country, and who belong to the 
following categories, should be repatriated: 

(1) Those whose state of health has deteriorated so as to ful- 
fil the conditions laid down for direct repatriation; 

(2) Those whose mental or physical powers remain, even after 
treatment, considerably impaired. 

If no special agreements are concluded between the Parties to 
the conflict concerned, to determine the cases of disablement or 
sickness entailing direct repatriation or accommodation in a 
neutral country, such cases shall be settled in accordance with 
the principles laid down in the Model Agreement concerning 
direct repatriation and accommodation in neutral countries of 
wounded and sick prisoners of war and in the Regulations con- 
cerning Mixed Medical Commissions annexed to the present 
Convention. (OPW, art. 110). 

190. Internment in a Neutral Country 

The Detaining Power, the Power on which the prisoners of war 
depend, and a neutral Power agreed upon by these two Powers, 
shall endeavour to conclude agreements which will enable 
prisoners of war to be interned in the territory of the said neutral 
Power until the close of hostilities. (GPW , art. 111.) 

191. Mixed Medical Commissions 

Upon the outbreak of hostilities, Mixed Medical Commissions 
shall be appointed to examine sick and wounded prisoners of war, 
and to make all appropriate decisions regarding them. The ap- 
pointment, duties and functioning of these Commissions shall be 
in conformity with the provisions of the Regulations annexed to 
the present Convention. 

However, prisoners of war who, in the opinion of the medical 
authorities of the Detaining Power, are manifestly seriously 



74 



injured or seriously sick, may be repatriated without having: to 
be examined by a Mixed Medical Commission. (GPW, art. 113.) 

192. Prisoners Entitled to Examination by Mixed Medical Commissions 
Besides those who are designated by the medical authorities of 

the Detaining Power, wounded or sick prisoners of war belonging 
to the categories listed below shall be entitled to present them- 
selves for examination by the Mixed Medical Commissions pro- 
vided for in the foregoing Article : 

(1) Wounded and sick proposed by a physician or surgeon 
who is of the same nationality, or a national of a Party 
to the conflict allied with the Power on which the said 
prisoners depend, and who exercises his functions in the 
camp. 

(2) Wounded and sick proposed by their prisoners' repre- 
sentative. 

(3) Wounded and sick proposed by the Power on which they 
depend, or by an organization duly recognized by the 
said Power and giving assistance to the prisoners. 

Prisoners of war who do not belong to one of the three fore- 
going categories may neverthless present themselves for exami- 
nation by Mixed Medical Commissions, but shall be examined 
only after those belonging to the said categories. 

The physician or surgeon of the same nationality as the prison* 
ers who present themselves for examination by the Mixed Medical 
Commission, likewise the prisoners' representative of the said 
prisoners, shall have permission to be present at the examination. 
(GPW.art.llS.) 

1 93. Prisoners Meeting With Accidents 

Prisoners of war who meet with accidents shall, unless the in- 
jury is self-inflicted, have the benefit of the provisions of this 
Convention as regards repatriation or accommodation in a neutral 
country. (CfPW, art. 114,) 

194. Prisoners Serving a Sentence 

No prisoner of war on whom a disciplinary punishment has been 
imposed and who is eligible for repatriation or for accommodation 
in a neutral country, may be kept back on the plea that he has not 
undergone his punishment. 

Prisoners of war detained in connection with a judicial prose- 
cution or conviction and who are designated for repatriation or 
accommodation in a neutral country, may benefit by such 
measures before the end of the proceedings or the completion of 
the punishment, if the Detaining Power consents. 



75 



Parties to the conflict shall communicate to each other the 
names of those who will be detained until the end of the proceed- 
ings or the completion of the punishment. (OPW, art. 115.) 

195. Costs of Repatriation 

The cost of repatriating prisoners of war or of transporting 
them to a neutral country shall be borne, from the frontiers of 
the Detaining Power, by the Power on which the said prisoners 
depend. (GPW,art. 116.) 

196. Activity After Repatriation 

a. Treaty Provision. 

No repatriated person may be employed on active military 
service. (GPW, art. 117.) 

b. Interpretation. The foregoing applies only to persons repatri- 
ated under Articles 109 through 116, (?PW (pars. 188-195), by reasons 
of wounds or sickness. Although it is not possible to frame any 
comprehensive rule concerning what constitutes "active military 
service," Article 117 does not preclude a repatriated person from 
performing medical or strictly administrative duties but does fore- 
close service in combat against the power formerly detaining the 
individual or an ally thereof. 

197. Exchange of Prisoners of War 

Exchange of prisoners of war, other than those whose repatriation 
is required by GPW, may be effected by agreement between the bel- 
ligerents. No belligerent is obliged to exchange prisoners of war, 
except if a general cartel requiring such exchange has been concluded. 
The conditions for exchange are as prescribed by the parties thereto, 
and exchanges need not necessarily be on the basis of number for 
number or rank for rank. (See par. 469.) 

1 98. Release and Repatriation at Close of Hostilities 

Prisoners of war shall be released and repatriated without 
delay after the cessation of active hostilities. 

In the absence of stipulations to the above effect in any agree- 
ment concluded between the Parties to the conflict with a view to 
the cessation of hostilities, or failing any such agreement, each 
of the Detaining Powers shall itself establish and execute without 
delay a plan of repatriation in conformity with the principle laid 
down in the foregoing paragraph. 

In either case, the measures adopted shall be brought to the 
knowledge of the prisoners of war. 

The costs of repatriation of prisoners of war shall in all cases 
be equitably apportioned between the Detaining Power and the 



76 



Power on which the prisoners depend. This apportionment shall 
be carried out on the following basis: 

(a) If the two Powers are contiguous, the Power on which the 
prisoners of war depend shall bear the costs of repatria- 
tion from the frontiers of the Detaining Power. 

(o) If the two Powers are not contiguous, the Detaining 
Power shall bear the costs of transport of prisoners of 
war over its own territory as far as its frontier or its port 
of embarkation nearest to the territory of the Power on 
which the prisoners of war depend. The Parties con- 
cerned shall agree between themselves as to the equitable 
apportionment of the remaining costs of the repatriation. 
The conclusion of this agreement shall in no circum- 
stances justify any delay in the repatriation of the 
prisoners of war. (GPW, art. 118.) 

199. Asylum 

A Detaining Power may, in its discretion, lawfully grant asylum 
to prisoners of war who do not desire to be repatriated. 

200. Details of Procedure 

Repatriation shall be effected in conditions similar to those laid 
down in Articles 46 to 48 inclusive of the present Convention for 
the transfer of prisoners of war, having regard to the provisions 
of Article 118 and to those of the following paragraphs. 

On repatriation, any articles of value impounded from prisoners 
of war under Article 18, and any foreign currency which has not 
been converted into the currency of the Detaining Power, shall 
be restored to them. Articles of value and foreign currency 
which, for any reason whatever, are not restored to prisoners 
of war on repatriation, shall be despatched to the Information 
Bureau set up under Article 122. 

Prisoners of war shall be allowed to take with them their per- 
sonal effects, and any correspondence and parcels which have 
arrived for them. The weight of such baggage may be limited, 
if the conditions of repatriation so require, to what each prisoner 
can reasonably carry. Each prisoner shall in all cases be author- 
ized to carry at least twenty-five kilograms [55 pounds]. 

The other personal effects of the repatriated prisoner shall 
be left in the charge of the Detaining Power which shall have 
them forwarded to him as soon as it has concluded an agreement 
to this effect, regulating the conditions of transport and the pay- 
ment of the costs involved, with the Power on which the prisoner 
depends. 



684524 0-63— 6 



77 



Prisoners of war against whom criminal proceedings for an 
indictable offence are pending may be detained until the end of 
such proceedings, and, if necessary, until the completion of the 
punishment. The same shall apply to prisoners of war already 
convicted for an indictable offence. 

Parties to the conflict shall communicate to each other the 
names of any prisoners of war who are detained until the end 
of the proceedings or until punishment has been completed. 

By agreement between the Parties to the conflict, commissions 
shall be established for the purpose of searching for dispersed 
prisoners of war and of assuring their repatriation with the least 
possible delay. ( GPW, art 119.) 

201. Death 

Wills of prisoners of war shall be drawn up so as to satisfy the 
conditions of validity required by the legislation of their coun- 
try of origin, which will take steps to inform the Detaining 
Power of its requirements in this respect. At the request of the 
prisoner of war and, in all cases, after death, the will shall be 
transmitted without delay to the Protecting Power; a certified 
copy shall be sent to the Central Agency. 

Death certificates, in the form annexed to the present Con- 
vention, or lists certified by a responsible officer, of all persons 
who die as prisoners of war shall be forwarded as rapidly as 
possible to the Prisoner of War Information Bureau established 
in accordance with Article 122. The death certificates or cer- 
tified lists shall show particulars of identity as set out in the 
third paragraph of Article 17, and also the date and place of 
death, the cause of death, the date and place of burial and all 
particulars necessary to identify the graves. 

The burial or cremation of a prisoner of war shall be preceded 
by a medical examination of the body with a view to confirming 
death and enabling a report to be made and, where necessary, 
establishing identity. 

The detaining authorities shall ensure that prisoners of war who 
have died in captivity are honourably buried, if possible accord- 
ing to the rites of the religion to which they belonged, and that 
their graves are respected, suitably maintained and marked so as 
to be found at any time. Wherever possible, deceased prisoners 
of war who depended on the same Power shall be interred in 
the same place. 

Deceased prisoners of war shall be buried in individual graves 
unless unavoidable circumstances require the use of collective 
graves. Bodies may be cremated only for imperative reasons 
of hygiene, on account of the religion of the deceased or in ac- 



78 



cordance with his express wish to this effect. In case of crema- 
tion, the fact shall be stated and the reasons given in the death 
certificate of the deceased. 

In order that graves may always be found, all particulars of 
burials and graves shall be recorded with a Graves Registration 
Service established by the Detaining Power. Lists of graves and 
particulars of the prisoners of war interred in cemeteries and 
elsewhere shall be transmitted to the Power on which such pris- 
oners of war depended. Responsibility for the care of these 
graves and for records of any subsequent moves of the bodies 
shall rest on the Power controlling the territory, if a Party to 
the present Convention. These provisions shall also apply to the 
ashes, which shall be kept by the Graves Registration Service 
until proper disposal thereof in accordance with the wishes of the 
home country. (GPW, art. ISO.) 

202. Prisoners Killed or Injured in Special Circumstances 

Every death or serious injury of a prisoner of war caused or 
suspected to have been caused by a sentry, another prisoner of 
war, or any other person, as well as any death the cause of which 
is unknown, shall be immediately followed by an official enquiry 
by the Detaining Power. 

A communication on this subject shall be sent immediately to 
the Protecting Power. Statements shall be taken from witnesses, 
especially from those who are prisoners of war, and a report 
including such statements shall be forwarded to the Protecting 
Power. 

If the enquiry indicates the guilt of one or more persons, the 
Detaining Power shall take all measures for the prosecution of the 
person or persons responsible. (GPW, art. 121.) 

Section XVIII. INFORMATION BUREAUS AND RELIEF SOCIETIES FOR 

PRISONERS OF WAR 

203. National Bureaus 

Upon the outbreak of a conflict and in all cases of occupation, 
each of the Parties to the conflict shall institute an official Infor- 
mation Bureau for prisoners of war who are in its power. Neu- 
tral or non-belligerent Powers who may have received within 
their territory persons belonging to one of the categories referred 
to in Article 4, shall take the same action with respect to such 
persons. The Power concerned shall ensure that the Prisoners 
of War Information Bureau is provided with the necessary accom- 
modation, equipment and staff to ensure its efficient working. 
It shall be at liberty to employ prisoners of war in such a Bureau 



79 



under the conditions laid down in the Section of the present Con- 
vention dealing with work by prisoners of war. 

Within the shortest possible period, each of the Parties to the 
conflict shall give its Bureau the information referred to in the 
fourth, fifth and sixth paragraphs of this Article regarding any 
enemy person belonging to one of the categories referred to in 
Artiele 4, who has fallen into its power. Neutral or non-belliger- 
ent Powers shall take the same action with regard to persons 
belonging to such categories whom they have received within 
their territory. 

The Bureau shall immediately forward such information by 
the most rapid means to the Powers concerned, through the 
intermediary of the Protecting Powers and likewise of the Central 
Agency provided for in Artiele 123. 

This information shall make it possible quickly to advise the 
next of kin concerned. Subject to the provisions of Article 17, 
the information shall include, in so far as available to the In- 
formation Bureau, in respect of each prisoner of war, his surname, 
first names, rank, army, regimental, personal or serial number, 
place and full date of birth, indication of the Power on which he 
depends, first name of the father and maiden name of the mother, 
name and address of the person to be informed and the address 
to which correspondence for the prisoner may be sent. 

The Information Bureau shall receive from the various' depart- 
ments concerned information regarding transfers, releases, re- 
patriations, escapes, admissions to hospital, and deaths, and shall 
transmit such information in the manner described in the third 
paragraph above. 

Likewise, information regarding the state of health of prisoners 
of war who are seriously ill or seriously wounded shall be supplied 
regularly, every week if possible. 

The Information Bureau shall also be responsible for replying 
to all enquiries sent to it concerning prisoners of war, including 
those who have died in captivity; it will make any enquiries neces- 
sary to obtain the information which is asked for if this is not in 
its possession. 

All written communications made by the Bureau shall be 
authenticated by a signature or a seal. 

The Information Bureau shall furthermore be charged with 
collecting all personal valuables, including sums in currencies 
other than that of the Detaining Power and documents of im- 
portance to the next of kin, left by prisoners of war who have been 
repatriated or released, or who have escaped or died, and shall 
forward the said valuables to the Powers concerned. Such 
articles shall be sent by the Bureau in sealed packets which shall 



80 



be accompanied by statements giving clear and full particulars 
of the identity of the person to whom the articles belonged, and 
by a complete list of the contents of the parcel. Other personal 
effects of such prisoners of war shall be transmitted under 
arrangements agreed upon between the Parties to the conflict 
concerned. (GPW, art. 122.) 

204. Central Agency 

A Central Prisoners of War Information Agency shall be 
created in a neutral country. The International Committee of 
the Red Cross shall, if it deems necessary, propose to the Powers 
concerned the organization of such an Agency. 

The function of the Agency shall be to collect all the informa- 
tion it may obtain through official or private channels respecting 
prisoners of war, and to transmit it as rapidly as possible to the 
country of origin of the prisoners of war or to the Power on which 
they depend. It shall receive from the Parties to the conflict all 
facilities for effecting such transmissions. 

The High Contracting Parties, and in particular those whose 
nationals benefit by the services of the Central Agency, are re- 
quested to give the said Agency the financial aid it may require. 

The foregoing provisions shall in no way be interpreted as 
restricting the humanitarian activities of the International Com- 
mittee of the Red Cross, or of the relief societies provided for in 
Article 125. ( GPW, art. 123,) 

205. Exemption From Charges 

The national Information Bureaux and the Central Information 
Agency shall enjoy free postage for mail, likewise all the exemp- 
tions provided for in Article 74, and further, so far as possible, 
exemption from telegraphic charges or, at least, greatly reduced 
rates. {GPW, art. 1U-) 

206. Relief Societies and Other Organizations 

Subject to the measures which the Detaining Powers may con- 
sider essential to ensure their security or to meet any other rea- 
sonable need, the representatives of religious organizations, relief 
societies, or any other organization assisting prisoners of war, 
shall receive from the said Powers, for themselves and their duly 
accredited agents, all necessary facilities for visiting the prison- 
ers, for distributing relief supplies and material, from any source, 
intended for religious, educational or recreative purposes, and for 
assisting them in organizing their leisure time within the camps. 
Such societies or organizations may be constituted in the territory 
of the Detaining Power or in any other country, or they may have 
an international character. 



81 



The Detaining Power may limit the number of societies and 
organizations whose delegates are allowed to carry out their ac- 
tivities in its territory and under its supervision, on condition, 
however, that such limitation shall not hinder the effective opera- 
tion of adequate relief to all prisoners of war. 

The special position of the International Committee of the Red 
Cross in this field shall be recognized and respected at all times. 

As soon as relief supplies or material intended for the above- 
mentioned purposes are handed over to prisoners of war, or very 
shortly afterwards, receipts for each consignment, signed by the 
prisoners' representative, shall be forwarded to the relief society 
or organization making the shipment At the same time, receipts 
for these consignments shall be supplied by the administrative 
authorities responsible for guarding the prisoners. (GPW, art. 

m.) 

207. Supervision 

Representatives or delegates of the Protecting Powers shall 
have permission to go to all places where prisoners of war may be, 
particularly to places of internment, imprisonment and labour, 
and shall have access to all premises occupied by prisoners of war; 
they shall also be allowed to go to the places of departure, passage 
and arrival of prisoners who are being transferred. They shall 
be able to interview the prisoners, and in particular the prisoners' 
representatives, without witnesses, either personally or through 
an interpreter. 

Representatives and delegates of the Protecting Powers shall 
have full liberty to select the places they wish to visit. The 
duration and frequency of these visits shall not be restricted. 
Visits may not be prohibited except for reasons of imperative 
military necessity, and then only as an exceptional and temporary 
measure. 

The Detaining Power and the Power on which the said prisoners 
of war depend may agree, if necessary, that compatriots of these 
prisoners of war be permitted to. participate in the visits. 

The delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross 
shall enjoy the same prerogatives. The appointment of such 
delegates shall be submitted to the approval of the Power detain- 
ing the prisoners of war to be visited. (GPW, art. 126.) 



82 



CHAPTER 4 
THE WOUNDED AND SICK 



Section I. GENERAL PROVISIONS 

208. Protected Persons 

a. Prisoners of War. GWS applies to the wounded and sick be- 
longing to the categories of persons listed in paragraph A of Article 
4, GPW ; paragraph 61 herein (GWS, art. 13). 

h. Other Persons. Wounded and sick persons who are in the hands 
of the enemy but who are not prisoners of war benefit from those pro- 
visions of GO pertaining to the treatment and protection of the 
wounded and sick. 

209. Wounded, Sick, and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at 

Sea 

a. Hospital Ships. Military hospital ships, which are to be marked 
in the manner specified by Article 43, GWS Sea, may in no circum- 
stances be attacked and captured but must be respected and protected, 
provided their names and descriptions have been notified to the Parties 
to the conflict ten days before those ships are employed. (GWS Sea, 
art. 22.) Any hospital ship in a port which falls into the hands of 
the enemy is to be authorized to leave the port. {GWS Sea, art. 29.) 

b. Treaty Provision. 

Hospital ships entitled to the protection of the Geneva Conven- 
tion for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and 
Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea of August 12, 
1949, shall not be attacked from the land. (GWS, art. 20.) 

c. Coastal Rescue Graft. Small craft employed by a State or by 
the officially recognized lifeboat institutions for coastal rescue opera- 
tions are to be respected and protected, so far as operational require- 
ments permit. (GWS Sea, art. 27.) 

d. Retained Personnel and Wounded and Sick Put Ashore. The 
religious, medical, and hospital personnel of hospital ships retained 
to care for the wounded and sick are on landing subject to GWS. 
(GWS Sea, art. 37.) Other forces put ashore become subject to 
GWS. (GWS Sea, art. I) 

210. Application by Neutral Powers 

Neutral Powers shall apply by analogy the provisions of the 
present Convention to the wounded and sick, and to members of 
the medical personnel and to chaplains of the armed forces of 



83 



the Parties to the conflict, received or interned in their territory, 
as well as to dead persons found. (GWS, art. 4.) 

211. Duration of Application 

For the protected persons who have fallen into the hands of the 
enemy, the present Convention shall apply until their final repa- 
triation. (GWS, art. 5.) 

212. Special Agreements 

In addition to the agreements expressly provided for in Articles 
10, 15, 23, 28, 31, 36, 37 and 52, the High Contracting Parties may 
conclude other special agreements for all matters concerning 
which they may deem it suitable to make separate provision. No 
special agreement shall adversely affect the situation of the 
wounded and sick, of members of the medical personnel or of 
chaplains, as defined by the present Convention, nor restrict the 
rights which it confers upon them. 

Wounded and sick, as well as medical personnel and chaplains, 
shall continue to have the benefit of such agreements as long as 
the Convention is applicable to them, except where express provi- 
sions to the contrary are contained in the aforesaid or in subse- 
quent agreements, or where more favourable measures have been 
taken with regard to them by one or other of the Parties to the 
conflict. {GWS, art. €.) 

213. Non-renunciation of Rights 

Wounded and sick, as well as members of the medical personnel 
and chaplains, may in no circumstances renounce in part or in 
entirety the rights secured to them by the present Convention, 
and by the special agreements referred to in the foregoing 
Article, if such there be. (GWS, art. 7.) 

214. Prohibition of Reprisals 

Reprisals against the wounded, sick, personnel, buildings or 
equipment protected by the Convention are prohibited. (GWS, 
art. 46.) 

Section II. WOUNDED AND SICK 

215. Protection and Care 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Members of the armed forces and other persons mentioned in 
the following Article, who are wounded or sick, shall be respected 
and protected in all circumstances. 

They shall be treated humanely and cared for by the Party to 
the conflict in whose power they may be, without any adverse 
distinction founded on sex, race, nationality, religion, political 
opinions, or any other similar criteria. Any attempts upon their 



84 



lives, or violence to their persons, shall be strictly prohibited; in 
particular, they shall not be murdered or exterminated, subjected 
to torture or to biological experiments; they shall not wilfully 
be left without medical assistance and care, nor shall conditions 
exposing them to contagion or infection be created. 

Only urgent medical reasons will authorize priority in the order 
of treatment to be administered. 

Women shall be treated with all consideration due to their sex. 

The Party to the conflict which is compelled to abandon 
wounded or sick to the enemy shall, as far as military considera- 
tions permit, leave with them a part of its medical personnel and 
material to assist in their care. (GWS, art. IS.) 

b. National Habits and Backgrounds. The foregoing is not in- 
tended to prohibit concessions, particularly with respect to food, 
clothing, and shelter, which take into account the different national 
habits and backgrounds of the wounded and sick. 

216. Search for Casualties 

At all times, and particularly after an engagement, Parties to 
the conflict shall, without delay, take all possible measures to 
search for and collect the wounded and sick, to protect them 
against pillage and ill-treatment, to ensure their adequate care, 
and to search for the dead and prevent their being despoiled. 

Whenever circumstances permit, an armistice or a suspension of 
fire shall be arranged, or local arrangements made, to permit the 
removal, exchange and transport of the wounded left on the battle- 
field. 

Likewise, local arrangements may be concluded between Parties 
to the conflict for the removal or exchange of wounded and sick 
from a besieged or encircled area, and for the passage of medical 
and religious personnel and equipment on their way to that area. 

(GWS, art. 15.) 

217. Wounded Falling Into Enemy Hands 

Parties to the conflict shall record as soon as possible, in respect 
of each wounded, sick or dead person of the adverse Party falling 
into their hands, any particulars which may assist in his identifi- 
cation. 

These records should if possible include: 
(a) designation of the Power on which he depends; 
(6) army, regimental, personal or serial number; 
(c) surname; 
id) first name or names; 
(e) date of birth *, 

if) any other particulars shown on his identity card or disc; 

ig) date and place of capture or death; 



85 



(A) particulars concerning wounds or illness, or cause of 
death. 

As soon as possible the above mentioned information shall be 
forwarded to the Information Bureau described in Article 122 
of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners 
of War of August 12, 1949, which shall transmit this information 
to the Power on which these persons depend through the inter- 
mediary of the Protecting Power and of the Central Prisoners 
of War Agency. 

Parties to the conflict shall prepare and forward to each other 
through the same bureau, certificates of death or duly authenti- 
cated lists of the dead. They shall likewise collect and forward 
through the same bureau one half of a double identity disc, last 
wills or other documents of importance to the next of kin, money 
and in general all articles of an intrinsic or sentimental value, 
which are found on the dead. These articles, together with un- 
identified articles, shall be sent in sealed packets, accompanied 
by statements giving all particulars necessary for the identifi- 
cation of the deceased owners, as well as by a complete list of the 
contents of the parcel. (GWS, art. 16.) 

218. Graves Registration Service 

Parties to the conflict shall ensure that burial or cremation of 
the dead, carried out individually as far as circumstances permit, 
is preceded by a careful examination, if possible by a medical 
examination, of the bodies, with a view to confirming death, estab- 
lishing identity and enabling a report to be made. One half of 
the double identity disc, or the identity disc itself if it is a single 
disc, should remain on the body. 

Bodies shall not be cremated except for imperative reasons of 
hygiene or for motives based on the religion of the deceased. In 
case of cremation, the circumstances and reasons for cremation 
shall be stated in detail in the death certificate or on the authenti- 
cated list of the dead. 

They shall further ensure that the dead are honourably in- 
terred, if possible according to the rites of the religion to which 
they belonged, that their graves are respected, grouped if possible 
according to the nationality of the deceased, properly maintained 
and marked so that they may always be found. For this purpose, 
they shall organize at the commencement of hostilities an Official 
Graves Registration Service, to allow subsequent exhumations 
and to ensure the identification of bodies, whatever the site of the 
graves, and the possible transportation to the home country. 
These provisions shall likewise apply to the ashes, which shall be 
kept by the Graves Registration Service until proper disposal 
thereof in accordance with the wishes of the home country. 



86 



As soon as circumstances permit, and at latest at the end of 
hostilities, these Services shall exchange, through the Information 
Bureau mentioned in the second paragraph of Article 16, lists 
showing the exact location and markings of the graves, together 
with particulars of the dead interred therein. (GWS, art. 17.) 

219. Voluntary Care 

a. Treaty Provision, 

The military authorities may appeal to the charity of the in- 
habitants voluntarily to collect and care for, under their direc- 
tion, the wounded and sick, granting persons who have responded 
to this appeal the necessary protection and facilities. Should the 
adverse Party take or retake control of the area, he shall likewise 
grant these persons the same protection and the same facilities. 

The military authorities shall permit the inhabitants and relief 
societies, even in invaded or occupied areas, spontaneously to 
collect and care for wounded or sick of whatever nationality. 
The civilian population shall respect these wounded and sick, and 
in particular abstain from offering them violence. 

No one may ever be molested or convicted for having nursed the 
wounded or sick. 

The provisions of the present Article do not relieve the occupy- 
ing Power of its obligation to give both physical and moral care 
to the wounded and sick. (GWS, art. 18.) 

b. Compulsion in Occupied Areas. An occupying authority may 
not bring" pressure to bear on the population in order to induce them 
to give treatment to the wounded and sick. 

Section III. MEDICAL UNITS, ESTABLISHMENTS, PERSONNEL AND 

TRANSFERS 

220. Protection 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Fixed establishments and mobile medical units of the Medical 
Service may in no circumstances be attacked, but shall at all 
times be respected and protected by the Parties to the conflict. 
Should they fall into the hands of the adverse Party, their person- 
nel shall be free to pursue their duties, as long as the capturing 
Power has not itself ensured the necessary care of the wounded 
and sick found in such establishments and units. 

The responsible authorities shall ensure that the said medical 
establishments and units are, as far as possible, situated in such 
a manner that attacks against military objectives cannot imperil 
their safety. ( G WS, art. 19. ) 

b. Nature of Protection Required. See paragraph 225&. 



87 



221. Search of Medical Units, Establishments, and Transports 

GWS does not confer immunity from search by the enemy on medi- 
cal units, establishments, or transports. 

222. Discontinuance of Protection of Medical Establishments and Units 
The protection to which fixed establishments and mobile medi- 
cal units of the Medical Service are entitled shall not cease unless 
they are used to commit, outside their humanitarian duties, acts 
harmful to the enemy. Protection may, however, cease only 
after a due warning has been given, naming, in all appropriate 
cases, a reasonable time limit, and after such warning has re- 
mained unheeded. {GWS, art. 21.) 

223. Conditions Not Depriving Medical Units and Establishments of 

Protection 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The following conditions shall not be considered as depriving 
a medical unit or establishment of the protection guaranteed 
by Article 19: 

(1) That the personnel of the unit or establishment are 
armed, and that they use the arms in their own defense, 
or in that of the wounded and sick in their charge. 

(2) That in the absence of armed orderlies, the unit or estab- 
lishment is protected by a picket or by sentries or by an 
escort. 

(3) That small arms and ammunition taken from the wounded 
and sick and not yet handed to the proper service, are 
found in the unit or establishment. 

(4) That personnel and material of the veterinary service 
are found in the unit or establishment, without forming 
an integral part thereof. 

(5) That the humanitarian activities of medical- units and 
establishments or of their personnel extend to the care 
of civilian wounded or sick. ( GWS, art. 

b. Self-Defense Defined. Although medical personnel may carry 
arms for self-defense, they may not employ such arms against enemy 
forces acting in conformity with the law of war. These arms are for 
their personal defense and for the protection of the wounded and 
sick under their charge against marauders and other persons violating 
the law of war. Medical personnel who use their arms in circum- 
stances not justified by the law of war expose themselves to penalties 
for violation of the law of war and, provided they have been given 
due warning to cease such acts, may also forfeit the protection of the 
medical unit or establishment of which they form part or which they 
are protecting. 

c. Arms and Ammunition Taken From the Wounded and Sick, 
As provided in substance by the foregoing article, the presence of such 

88 



arms and ammunition in a medical unit or establishment is not of 
itself cause for denying the protection to be accorded such organiza- 
tions under GWS. However, such arms and ammunition should be 
turned in as soon as practicable and, in any event, are subject to 
confiscation. 

224. Hospital Zones and Localities 

In time of peace, the High Contracting Parties and, after the 
the outbreak of hostilities, the Parties thereto, may establish 
in their own territory and, if the need arises, in occupied areas, 
hospital zones and localities so organized as to protect the 
wounded and sick from the effects of war, as well as the person- 
nel entrusted with the organization and administration of these 
zones and localities and with the care of the persons therein 
assembled. 

Upon the outbreak and during the course of hostilities, the 
Parties concerned may conclude agreements on mutual recogni- 
tion of the hospital zones and localities they have created. They 
may for this purpose implement the provisions of the Draft 
Agreement annexed to the present Convention, with such amend- 
ments as they may consider necessary. 

The protecting Powers and the International Committee of the 
Red Cross are invited to lend their good offices in order to facili- 
tate the institution and recognition of these hospital zones and 
localities. (GWS, art. S3.) 

225. Protection of Permanent Personnel 

a. Treaty Provision. See Articled, GIF*? (par 67). 

b. What Is Meant by Respect and Protection. The respect and 
protection accorded personnel of certain categories by Articles 19 
(pur. 220), 24 (par. 67), and 25 (par. 226), GWS, mean that they 
must not knowingly be attacked, fired upon, or unnecessarily pre- 
vented from discharging their proper functions. The accidental 
killing or wounding of such personnel, due to their presence among 
or in proximity to combatant elements actually engaged, by fire di- 
rected at the latter, gives no just cause for complaint. 

226. Protection of Auxiliary Personnel 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Members of the armed forces specially trained for employment, 
should the need arise, as hospital orderlies, nurses or auxiliary 
stretcher-bearers, in the search for or the collection, transport 
or treatment of the wounded and sick shall likewise be respected 
and protected if they are carrying out these duties at the time 
when they come into contact with the enemy or fall into his hands. 
(GWS, art. 25.) 



89 



b. Nature of Protection. See paragraph 225 b, and Article 29, 
GWS (par. 68). 

227. Personnel of Aid Societies 

See Article 26, GWS (par. 69). 

228. The American National Red Cross 

The American.National Ked Cross is the only voluntary aid society 
now authorized by this Government to render aid to the Army Medical 
Service in time of war, and any other society desiring to render similar 
assistance can do so only through the American National Ked Cross 
(Pres. Proa, 22 Aug. 1911, 37 Stat. 1716) . The President is author- 
ized to accept the assistance tendered by the Ked Cross and to employ 
the same under the Armed Forces (act 17 Jul 1953, 67 Stat. 178,- 36 
V. S. C. 17, 17a.) Personnel of the Ked Cross serving -with or accom- 
panying an armed force in the field in time of war or serving with or 
accompanying the armed forces without the continental limits of the 
United States and certain named territories are subject to.the Uniform 
Code of Military Justice (USMJ, AH. 2 (10) (11) ) . 

229. Societies of Neutral Countries 

A recognized Society of a neutral country can only lend the 
assistance of its medical personnel and units to a Party to the 
conflict with the previous consent of its own Government and the 
authorization of the Party to the conflict concerned. That per- 
sonnel and those units shall be placed under the control of that 
Party to the conflict. . . 

The neutral Government shall notify this consent to the ad- 
versary of the State which accepts such assistance. The Party 
to the conflict who accepts such assistance is bound to notify the 
adverse Party thereof before making any use of it. 

In no circumstances shall this assistance be considered as inter- 
ference in the conflict. 

The members of the personnel named in the first paragraph 
shall be duly furnished with the identity cards provided for in 
Article 40 before leaving the neutral country to which they belong. 
(GWS, art 27.) 

230. Retained Personnel 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Personnel designated in Articles 24 and 26 who fall into the 
hands of the adverse Party, shall be retained only in so far as 
the state of health, .the spiritual needs and the number of 
prisoners of war require. 

Personnel thus retained shall not be deemed prisoners of war. 
Nevertheless they shall at least benefit by all the provisions of the 



90 



Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War 
of August 12, 1949. Within the framework of the military laws 
and regulations of the Detaining Power, and under the authority 
of its competent service, they shall continue to carry out, in ac- 
cordance with their professional ethics, their medical and spirit- 
ual duties on behalf of prisoners of war, preferably those of the 
armed forces to which they themselves belong. They shall further 
enjoy the following facilities for carrying out their medical or 
spiritual duties: 

(a) They shall be authorized to visit periodically the pris- 
oners of war in labour units or hospitals outside the 
camp. The Detaining Power shall put at their disposal 
the means of transport required. 
(6) In each camp the senior medical officer of the highest 
rank shall be responsible to the military authorities of 
the camp for the professional activity of the retained 
medical personnel. For this purpose, from the outbreak 
of hostilities, the Parties to the conflict shall agree re- 
garding the corresponding seniority of the ranks of their 
medical personnel, including those of the societies desig- 
nated in Article 26. In all questions arising out of their 
duties, this medical officer, and the chaplains, shall have 
direct access to the military and medical authorities of 
the camp who shall grant them the facilities they may 
require for correspondence relating to these questions, 
(c) Although retained personnel in a camp shall be subject 
to its internal discipline, they shall not, however, be re- 
quired to perform any work outside their medical or 
religious duties. 
During hostilities the Parties to the conflict shall make arrange- 
ments for relieving where possible retained personnel, and shall 
settle the procedure of such relief. 

None of the preceding provisions shall relieve the Detaining 
Power of the obligations imposed upon it with regard to the 
medical and spiritual welfare of the prisoners of war. (GWS, 
art. 28.) 

J>. Discipline. See paragraph 67. 

231 . Return of Religious and Medical Personnel 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Personnel whose retention is not indispensable by virtue of the 
provisions of Article 28 shall be returned to the Party to the con- 
flict to whom they belong, as soon as a road is open for their 
return and military requirements permit. 

Pending their return, they shall not be deemed prisoners of war. 
Nevertheless they shall at least benefit by all the provisions of the 



91 



Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War 
of August 12, 1949. They shall continue to fulfill their duties 
under the orders of the adverse Party and shall preferably be 
engaged in the care of the wounded and sick of the Party to the 
conflict to which they themselves belong. 

On their departure, they shall take with them the effects, per- 
sonal belongings, valuables and instruments belonging to them. 
(GWS,art.30.) 

b. Security Measures. Nothing in the foregoing article precludes 
reasonable measures to prevent such personnel, upon their return to 
their own army, from carrying information of strategic or tactical 
value. The movements and activities of religious and medical per- 
sonnel whose return is contemplated may be restricted as far as 
reasonably necessary to prevent their acquisition of such information, 
provided they are not thereby denied the facilities afforded them by 
Article 28, GWS (par. 230). Should they become possessed of such 
information, their return to their own army may be delayed until 
the information has ceased to be of substantial value. 

232. Selection of Personnel for Return 

The selection of personnel for return under Article 30 shall be 
made irrespective of any consideration of race, religion or politi- 
cal opinion, but preferably according to the chronological order 
of their capture and their state of health. 

As from the outbreak of hostilities, Parties to the conflict may 
determine by special agreement the percentage of personnel to be 
retained, in proportion to the number of prisoners and the dis- 
tribution of the said personnel in the camps. (GWS, art. SI.) 

233. Return of Personnel Belonging to Neutral Countries 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Persons designated in Article 27 who have fallen into the hands 
of the adverse Party may not be detained. 

Unless otherwise agreed, they shall have permission to return 
to their country, or if this is not possible, to the territory of the 
Party to the conflict in whose service they were, as soon as a route 
for their return is open and military considerations permit. 

Pending their release, they shall continue their work under the 
direction of the adverse Party; they shall preferably be engaged 
in the care of the wounded and sick of the Party to the conflict in 
whose service they were. 

On their departure, they shall take with them their effects, per- 
sonal articles and valuables and the instruments, arms and if 
possible the means of transport belonging to them. 

The Parties to the conflict shall secure to this personnel, while 
in their power, the same food, lodging, allowances and pay as are 



92 



granted to the corresponding personnel of their armed forces. 
The food shall in any case be sufficient as regards quantity, qual- 
ity and variety to keep the said personnel in a normal state of 
health. {GWS,art.S2.) 

b. Security Measures. Security measures similar to those taken 
with respect to religious and medical personnel (par. 231&) may be 
applied to personnel of aid societies of neutral countries. 

234. Buildings and Stores 

a. Treaty Provision, 

The material of mobile medical units of the armed forces 
which fall into the hands of the enemy, shall be reserved for the 
care of wounded and sick. 

The buildings, material and stores of fixed medical establish- 
ments of the armed forces shall remain subject to the laws 
of war, but may not be diverted from their purpose as long as 
they are required for the care of wounded and sick. Nevertheless, 
the commanders of forces in the field may make use of them, in 
case of urgent military necessity, provided that they make previ- 
ous arrangements for the welfare of the wounded and sick who 
are nursed in them. 

The material and stores defined in the present Article shall 
not be intentionally destroyed. (GWS, art. S3.) 

b. Material of Mobile Medical Units. The material of mobile med- 
ical units falling into the hands of the enemy need not be restored 
to the belligerent from whom it was taken. It must, however, be 
used only for the care of the wounded and sick, and does not constitute 
war booty, within the meaning of Article 53, HR (pars. 403, 408) or 
unwritten international law, until GWS ceases to be operative. 

235. Property of Aid Societies 

The real and personal property of aid societies which are 
admitted to the privileges of the Convention shall be regarded 
as private property. 

The right of requisition recognized for belligerents by the laws 
and customs of war shall not be exercised except in case of 
urgent necessity, and only after the welfare of the wounded and 
sick has been ensured. (GWS, art. 3£.) 

236. Protection of Medical Transports 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Transports of wounded and sick or of medical equipment shall 
be respected and protected in the same way as mobile medical 
units. 

Should such transports or vehicles fall into the hands of the 
adverse Party, they shall be subject to the laws of war, on condi- 



684524 0-63— 7 



93 



tion that the Party to the conflict who captures them shall in 
all cases ensure the care of the wounded and sick they contain. 

The civilian personnel and all means of transport obtained by 
requisition shall be subject to the general rules of international 
law. (GWS, art. 35.) 

b. Civilian Personnel. The rules of international law applicable 
to civilians connected with medical transports may vary depending 
on whether such persons accompany the armed forces (GPW, art. £A 
(4) ; par. 61 herein) are members of the staff of voluntary aid socie- 
ties either of a belligerent State (GWS, art. %6; par. 69 herein) or of 
a. neutral State (GWS, art $7; par. 229 herein), or are civilians not 
otherwise protected by GWS or GPW (GO, art. ki par. 247 herein). 

237. Medical Aircraft 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Medical aircraft, that is to say, aircraft exclusively employed 
for the removal of wounded and sick and for the transport of 
medical personnel and equipment, shall not be attacked, but shall 
be respected by the belligerents, while flying at heights, times and 
on routes specifically agreed upon between the belligerents 
concerned. 

They shall bear, clearly marked, the distinctive emblem pre- 
scribed in Article 38, together with their national colours, on 
their lower, upper and lateral surfaces. They shall be provided 
with any other markings or means of identification that may be 
agreed upon between the belligerents upon the outbreak or dur- 
ing the course of hostilities. 

Unless agreed otherwise, flights over enemy or enemy-occupied 
territory are prohibited. 

Medical aircraft shall obey every summons to land. In the 
event of a landing thus imposed, the aircraft with its occupants 
may continue its flight after examination, if any. 

In the event of an involuntary landing in enemy or enemy- 
occupied territory, the wounded and sick, as well as the crew of 
the aircraft shall be prisoners of war. The medical personnel 
shall be treated according to Article 24 and the Articles fol- 
lowing. (GWS, art. 36.) 

d. Converted Aircraft. It is not necessary that the aircraft should 
have been specially built and equipped for medical purposes. There 
is no objection to converting ordinary aircraft into medical aircraft 
or to using former medical aircraft for other purposes, provided the 
distinctive markings are removed. 



94 



Section IV; THE RED CROSS EMBLEM 



238. Emblem of the Convention 

a. Treaty Provision. 

As a compliment to Switzerland, the heraldic emblem of the 
red cross on a white ground formed by reversing the Federal 
colours, is retained as the emblem and distinctive sign of the 
Medical Service of armed forces. 

Nevertheless, in the case of countries which already use as 
emblem, in place of the red cross, the red crescent or the red lion 
and sun on a white ground, those emblems are also recognized 
by the terms of the present Convention. (GWS, art. 38.) 

b. Emblems Other Than the Red Cross. Turkey uses the Red Cres- 
cent; Iran, the Red Lion and Sun. Israel signed GWS subject to the 
reservation that it "will use a Red Shield of David as its distinctive 
sign. 

c. Misuse of the Emblem. See Article S3 (/), HR (par. 52). See 
also pertinent United States statutes. 

239. Use of the Emblem 

Under the direction of the competent military authority, the 
emblem shall be displayed on the flags, armlets and on all equip- 
ment employed in the Medical Service. {GWS, art. 39.) 

240. Identification of Medical and Religious Personnel 

The personnel designated in Article 24 and in Articles 26 and 
27 [Articles 36 and 37 of GWS Sea] shall wear, affixed to the left 
arm, a water-resistant armlet bearing the distinctive emblem, 
issued and stamped by the military authority. 

Such personnel, in addition to wearing the identity disc men- 
tioned in Article 16 [Article 19 of GWS Sea], shall also carry a 
special identity card bearing the distinctive emblem. This card 
shall be water-resistant and of such size that it can be carried in 
the pocket. It shall be worded in the national language, shall 
mention at least the surname and first names, the date of birth, 
the rank and the service number of the bearer, and shall state in 
what capacity he is entitled to the protection of the present Con- 
vention. The card shall bear the photograph of the owner and 
also either his signature or his finger-prints or both. It shall be 
embossed with the stamp of the military authority. 

The identity card shall be uniform throughout the same armed 
forces and, as far as possible, of a similar type in the armed forces 
of the High Contracting Parties. The Parties to the conflict may 
be guided by the model which is annexed, by way of example, to 
the present Convention. They shall inform each other, at the 
outbreak of hostilities, of the model they are using. Identity 



95 



cards should be made out, if possible, at least in duplicate, one 
copy being kept by the home country. 

In no circumstances may the said personnel be deprived of their 
insignia or identity cards nor of the right to wear the armlet. In 
case of loss, they shall be entitled to receive duplicates of the 
cards and to have the insignia replaced. (GWS, art. 40.) 

241. Identification of Auxiliary Personnel 

The personnel designated in Article 25 shall wear, but only 
while carrying out medical duties, a white armlet bearing in its 
centre the distinctive sign in miniature; the armlet shall be issued 
and stamped by the military authority. 

Military identity documents to be carried by this type of per- 
sonnel shall specify what special training they have received, the 
temporary character of the duties they are engaged upon, and 
their authority for wearing the armlet. (GWS, art. 41.) 

242. Marking of Medical Units and Establishments 

The distinctive flag of the Convention shall be hoisted only 
over such medical units and establishments as are entitled to be 
respected under the Convention, and only with the consent of the 
military authorities. 

In mobile units, as in fixed establishments, it may be accom- 
panied by the national flag of the Party to the conflict to which 
the unit or establishment belongs. 

Nevertheless, medical units which have fallen into the hands of 
the enemy shall not fly any flag other than that of the Convention. 

Parties to the conflict shall take the necessary steps, in so far 
as military considerations permit, to make the distinctive emblems 
indicating medical units and establishments clearly visible to the 
enemy land, air or naval forces, in order to obviate the possibility 
of any hostile action. (GWS, art. J$.) 

243. Marking of Units of Neutral Countries 

The medical units belonging to neutral countries, which may 
have been authorized to lend their services to a belligerent under 
the conditions laid down in Article 27, shall fly, along with the 
flag of the Convention, the national flag of that belligerent, wher- 
ever the latter makes use of the faculty conferred on him by 
Article 42. 

Subject to orders to the contrary by the responsible military 
authorities, they may, on all occasions, fly their national flag, even 
if they fall into the hands of the adverse Party. (GWS, art. 43.) 

244. Restrictions in the Use of the Emblem 

With the exception of the cases mentioned in the following 
paragraphs of the present Article, the emblem of the Red Cross on 



96 



a white ground and the words "Red Cross", or "Geneva Cross" 
may not be employed, either in time of peace or in time of war, 
except to indicate or to protect the medical units and establish- 
ments, the personnel and material protected by the present Con- 
vention and other Conventions dealing with similar matters. The 
same shall apply to the emblems mentioned in Article 38, second 
paragraph, in respect of the countries which use them. The Na- 
tional Red Cross Societies and other Societies designated in 
Article 26 shall have the right to use the distinctive emblem con- 
ferring the protection of the Convention only within the frame- 
work of the present paragraph. 

Furthermore, National Red Cross (Red Crescent, Red Lion and 
Sun) Societies may, in time of peace, in accordance with their 
national legislation, make use of the name and emblem of the 
Red Cross for their other activities which are in conformity with 
the principles laid down by the International Red Cross Con- 
ferences. When those activities are carried out in time of war, 
the conditions for the use of the emblem shall be such that it can- 
not be considered as conferring the protection of the Convention; 
the emblem shall be comparatively small in size and may not be 
placed on armlets or on the roofs of buildings. 

The international Red Cross organizations and their duly 
authorized personnel shall be permitted to make use, at all times, 
of the emblem of the Red Cross on a white ground. 

As an exceptional measure, in conformity with national legis- 
lation and with the express permission of one of the National Red 
Cross (Red Crescent, Red Lion and Sun) Societies, the emblem of 
the Convention may be employed in time of peace to identify 
vehicles used as ambulances and to mark the position of aid 
stations exclusively assigned to the purpose of giving free treat- 
ment to the wounded or sick, (GWS, art. 44-) 

245. United States Reservation 

The United States, in ratifying the Geneva Convention * * * 
does so with the reservation that * * * nothing contained therein 
shall make unlawful, or obligate the United States of America 
to make unlawful, any use or right of use within the United States 
of America and its territories and possessions of the Red Cross 
emblem, sign, insignia, or words as was lawful by reason of do- 
mestic law and a use begun prior to January 5 » 1905, provided such 
use by pre-1905 users does not extend to the placing of the Red 
Cross emblem, sign, or insignia upon aircraft, vessels, vehicles, 
buildings or other structures, or upon the ground. (T. I. A. S. 
3862.) 



97 



CHAPTER 5 
CIVILIAN PERSONS 



Section I. GENERAL PROVISIONS 

246. Protection of Civilians Generally 

The protection of civilian persons is governed by both GO and HR, 
the former supplementing the latter insofar as both relate to occupied 
territory. Certain provisions of GO are applicable only in the terri- 
tory of a party to the conflict, others to belligerently occupied territory, 
a number to both or to civilian populations generally. Those relating 
exclusively to occupied areas appear in chapter 6, while the require- 
ments of GO having to do with the territory of a belligerent or with 
both such territory and occupied territory or with the general protec- 
tion of civilian persons are set forth in this chapter. 

247. Definition of Protected Persons 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Persons protected by the Convention are those who, at a given 
moment and in any manner whatsoever, find themselves, in case 
of a conflict or occupation, in the hands of a Party to the conflict 
or Occupying Power of which they are not nationals. 

Nationals of a State which is not bound by the Convention are 
not protected by it. Nationals of a neutral State who find them' 
selves in the territory of a belligerent State, and nationals of a 
co-belligerent State, shall not be regarded as protected persons 
while the State of which they are nationals has normal diplomatic 
representation in the State in whose hands they are. 

The provisions of Part II are, however, wider in application, as 
defined in Article 13. 

Persons protected by the Geneva Convention for the Ameliora- 
tion of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in 
the Field of August 12, 1949, or by the Geneva Convention for the 
Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked 
Members of Armed Forces at Sea of August 12, 1949, or by the 
Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War 
of August 12, 1949, shall not be considered as protected persons 
within the meaning of the present Convention. (GO, art. 4-) 

b. Interpretation. Subject to qualifications set forth in paragraph 

248. those protected by GO also include all persons who have engaged 
in hostile or belligerent conduct but who are not entitled to treatment 
as prisoners of war. 



98 



c. Wider Scope of Certain Articles. Part II, GG (sec. II of this 
chapter), has a broader scope than the rest of GG. (See GG, art. 13; 
par. 252 herein.) 

248. Derogations 

a. Domestic and Occupied Territory. 

Where, in the territory of a Party to the conflict, the latter is 
satisfied that an individual protected person is definitely sus- 
pected of or engaged in activities hostile to the security of the 
State, such individual person shall not be entitled to claim such 
rights and privileges under the present Convention as would, if 
exercised in the favour of such individual person, be prejudicial 
to the security of such State. 

Where in occupied territory an individual protected person is 
detained as a spy or saboteur, or as a person under definite sus- 
picion of activity hostile to the security of the Occupying Power, 
such person shall, in those cases where absolute military secu- 
rity so requires, be regarded as having forfeited rights of com- 
munication under the present Convention. 

In each case, such persons shall nevertheless be treated with 
humanity, and in case of trial, shall not be deprived of the rights 
of fair and regular trial prescribed by the present Convention. 
They shall also be granted the full rights and privileges of a 
protected person under the present Convention at the earliest 
date consistent with the security of the State or Occupying Power, 
as the case may be. (GG, art. 5.) (See also par. 73.) 

b. Other Areas. Where, in territories other than those mentioned 
in a above, a Party to the conflict is satisfied that an individual pro- 
tected person is de6nitely suspected of or engaged in activities hostile 
to the security of the State, such individual person is similarly not en- 
titled to claim such rights and priviliges under GG as would, if exer- 
cised in favor of such individual person, be prejudicial to the security 
of such State. 

c. Acts Punishable. The foregoing provisions impliedly recognize 
the power of a Party to the conflict to impose the death penalty and 
lesser punishments on spies, saboteurs, and other persons not entitled 
to be treated as prisoners of war, except to the extent that that power 
has been limited or taken away by Article 68, GG (par. 438). 

249. Beginning and End of Application 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The present Convention shall apply from the outset of any 
conflict or occupation mentioned in Article 2. 



99 



In the territory of Parties to the conflict, the application of 
the present Convention shall cease on the general close of military 
operations. 

In the case of occupied territory, the application of the present 
Convention shall cease one year after the general close of mili- 
tary operations; however, the Occupying Power shall be bound, 
for the duration of the occupation, to the extent that such Power 
exercises the functions of government in such territory, by the 
provisions of the following Articles of the present Convention; 
1 to 12, 27, 29 to 34, 47, 49, 51, 52, 53, 59, 61 to 77, 143. 

Protected persons whose release, repatriation or re-establish- 
ment may take place after such dates shall meanwhile continue 
to benefit by the present Convention. {GO, art. 6.) 

b. Reestablishment of Protected Persons. The word "reestablish- 
ment," as used in a, refers to protected persons who cannot be repa- 
triated because, for example, they would be liable to persecution in 
their own country, or because their homes have been destroyed. 

250. Special Agreements 

In addition to the agreements expressly provided for in Articles 
11, 14, 15, 17, 36, 108, 109, 132, 133 and 149, the High Contracting 
Parties may conclude other special agreements for all matters 
concerning which they may deem it suitable to make separate 
provision. No special agreement shall adversely affect the situa- 
tion of protected persons, as defined by the present Convention, 
nor restrict the rights which it confers upon them. 

Protected persons shaU continue to have the benefit of such 
agreements as long as the Convention is applicable to them, ex- 
cept where express provisions to the contrary are contained in 
the aforesaid or in subsequent agreements, or where more favour- 
able measures have been taken with regard to them by one or 
other of the Parties to the conflict. {GO, art. 7.) 

251. Non-renunciation of Rights 

Protected persons may in no circumstances renounce in part 
or in entirety the rights secured to them by the present Conven- 
tion, and by the special agreements referred to in the foregoing 
Article, if such there be. (GO, art. 8.) 

Section II. GENERAL PROTECTION OF POPULATIONS AGAINST CERTAIN 
CONSEQUENCES OF WAR 

252. Field of Application 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The provisions of Part II cover the whole of the populations 
of the countries in conflict, without any adverse distinction based, 
in particular, on race, nationality, religion or political opinion, 



TOO 



and are intended to alleviate the sufferings caused by war. (GC 

art. 13.) 

b. The State and Its Own Nationals. The provisions mentioned 
in a concern not only the relations between a given nation and aliens 
but also the relations between a nation and its own nationals, and 
also apply to neutral inhabitants of the countries in conflict 

253. Hospital and Safety Zones and Localities 

In time of peace, the High Contracting Parties and, after the 
outbreak of hostilities, the Parties thereto, may establish in their 
own territory and, if the need arises, in occupied areas, hospital 
and safety zones and localities so organized as to protect from the 
effects of war, wounded, sick and aged persons, children under 
fifteen, expectant-mothers and mothers of children under seven. 

Upon the outbreak and during the course of hostilities, the 
Parties concerned may conclude agreements on mutual recogni- 
tion of the zones and localities they have created. They may for 
this purpose implement the provisions of the Draft Agreement 
annexed to the present Convention, with such amendments as 
they may consider necessary. 

The Protecting Powers and the International Committee of the 
Red Cross are invited to lend their good offices in order to facili- 
tate the institution and recognition of these hospital and safety 
zones and localities. (GC, art. J 4.) 

254. Neutralized Zones 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Any Party to the conflict may, either direct or through a neutral 
State or some humanitarian organization, propose to the adverse 
Party to establish, in the regions where fighting is taking place, 
neutralized zones intended to shelter from the effects of war the 
following persons, without distinction: 

(a) wounded and sick combatants or non-combatants; 
(6) civilian persons who take no part in hostilities, and who, 
while they reside in the zones, perform no work of a 
military character. 
When the Parties concerned have agreed upon the geographical 
position, administration, food supply and supervision of the pro- 
posed neutralized zone, a written agreement shall be concluded 
and signed by the representatives of the Parties to the conflict. 
The agreement shall fix the beginning and the duration of the 
neutralization of the zone. (GC, art. 15.) 

b. By Whom Agreements Concluded. The agreements mentioned 
in a and elsewhere in this section may be concluded either by the 
governments concerned or by subordinate military commanders. 



101 



255. General Protection of Wounded and Sick 

The wounded and sick, as well as the infirm, and expectant 
mothers, shall be the object of particular protection and respect. 

As far as military considerations allow, each Party to the con- 
flict shall facilitate the steps taken to search for the killed and 
wounded, to assist the shipwrecked and other persons exposed 
to grave danger, and to protect them against pillage and ill- 
treatment. (<?<7, art. 16.) 

256. Evacuation of Wounded and Sick 

The Parties to the conflict shall endeavour to conclude local 
agreements for the removal from besieged or encircled areas, of 
wounded, sick, infirm, and aged persons, children and maternity 
cases, and for the passage of ministers of all religions, medical 
personnel and medical equipment on their way to such areas. 
(GC, art. 17.) 

257. Protection of Hospitals 

Civilian hospitals organized to give care to the wounded and 
sick, the infirm and maternity cases, may in no circumstances be 
the object of attack, but shall at all times be respected and pro- 
tected by the Parties to the conflict. 

States which are Parties to a conflict shall provide all civilian 
hospitals with certificates showing that they are civilian hospitals 
and that the buildings which they occupy are not used for any 
purpose which would deprive these hospitals of protection in 
accordance with Article 19. 

Civilian hospitals shall be marked by means of the emblem pro- 
vided for in Article 38 of the Geneva Convention for the Ameliora- 
tion of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces 
in the Field of August 12, 1949, but only if so authorized by the 
State. 

The Parties to the conflict shall, in so far as military consider- 
ations permit, take the necessary steps to make the distinctive 
emblems indicating civilian hospitals clearly visible to the enemy 
land, air and naval forces in order to obviate the possibility of any 
hostile action. 

In view of the dangers to which hospitals may be exposed by 
being close to military objectives, it Is recommended that such 
hospitals be situated as far as possible from such objectives. 

{GC, art. 18.) 

258. Discontinuance of Protection of Hospitals 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The protection to which civilian hospitals are entitled shall not 
cease unless they are used to commit, outside their humanitarian 



102 



duties, acts harmful to the enemy. Protection may, however, 
cease only after due warning has been given, naming, in all appro- 
priate cases, a reasonable time limit, and after such warning has 
remained unheeded. 

The fact that sick or wounded members of the armed forces 
are nursed in these hospitals, or the presence of small arms and 
ammunition taken from such combatants and not yet handed to 
the proper service, shall not be considered to be acts harmful to 
the enemy, (GO, art. 19.) 

b. Meaning of Acts Harmful to the Enemy. Acts harmful to the 
enemy are not only acts of warfare proper but any activity character- 
izing combatant action, such as setting up observation posts or the use 
of the hospital as a liaison center for fighting troops. 

259. Hospital Staff 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Persons regularly and solely engaged in the operation and 
administration of civilian hospitals, including the personnel en- 
gaged in the search for, removal and transporting of and caring 
for wounded and sick civilians, the infirm and maternity cases, 
shall be respected and protected. 

In occupied territory and in zones of military operations, the 
above personnel shall be recognizable by means of an identity 
card certifying their status, bearing the photograph of the holder 
and embossed with the stamp of the responsible authority, and 
also by means of a stamped, water-resistant armlet which they 
shall wear on the left arm while carrying out their duties. This 
armlet shall be issued by the State and shall bear the emblem 
provided for in Article 38 of the Geneva Convention for the 
Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed 
Forces in the Field of August 12, 1949. 

Other personnel who are engaged in the operation and adminis- 
tration of civilian hospitals shall be entitled to respect and pro- 
tection and to wear the armlet, as provided in and under the 
conditions prescribed in this Article, while they are employed on 
such duties. The identity card shall state the duties on which 
they are employed. 

The management of each hospital shall at all times hold at the 
disposal of the competent national or occupying authorities an 
up-to-date list of such personnel. ( GO, art. 20. ) 

o. Interpretation, The persons "regularly and solely engaged in 
the operation and administration of civilian hospitals" include all 
members of the professional staff and all employees of hospitals, 
whether or not in direct contact with the wounded and sick, provided 
they have no occupation other than their work in the hospitals. 



103 



260. Land and Sea Transport 

Convoys of vehicles or hospital trains on land or specially pro- 
vided vessels on sea, conveying wounded and sick civilians, the 
infirm and maternity cases, shall be respected and protected in 
the same manner as the hospitals provided for in Article 18, and 
shall be marked, with the consent of the State, by the display of 
the distinctive emblem provided for in Article 38 of the Geneva 
Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded 
and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field of August 12, 1949. (GO, 
art. 21.) 

261. Air Transport 

Aircraft exclusively employed for the removal of wounded and 
sick civilians, the infirm and maternity cases, or for the transport 
of medical personnel and equipment, shall not be attacked, but 
shall be respected while flying at heights, times and on routes 
specifically agreed upon between all the Parties to the conflict 
concerned. 

They may be marked with the distinctive emblem provided for 
in Article 38 of the Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the 
Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field 
of August 12, 1949. 

Unless agreed otherwise, flights over enemy or enemy-occupied 
territory are prohibited. 

Such aircraft shall obey every summons to land. In the event 
of a landing thus imposed, the aircraft with its occupants may 
continue its flight after examination if any. {GO, art. M.) 

262. Consignments of Medical Supplies, Food, and Clothing 

Each High Contracting Party shall allow the free passage of 
all consignments of medical and hospital stores and objects neces- 
sary for religious worship intended only for civilians of another 
High Contracting Party, even if the latter is its adversary. It 
shall likewise permit the free passage of all consignments of 
essential foodstuffs, clothing and tonics intended for children 
under fifteen, expectant mothers and maternity cases. 

The obligation of a High Contracting Party to allow the free 
passage of the consignments indicated in the preceding paragraph 
is subject to the condition that this Party is satisfied that there are 
no serious reasons for fearing; 

(a) that the consignments may be diverted from their desti- 
nation, 

(6) that the control may not be effective, or 

(c) that a definite advantage may accrue to the military 
efforts or economy of the enemy through the substitution 
of the above-mentioned consignments for goods which 



104 



would otherwise be provided or produced by the enemy 
or through the release of such material, services or facili- 
ties as would otherwise be required for the production 
of such goods. 

The Power which allows the passage of the consignments indi- 
cated in the first paragraph of this Article may make such per- 
mission conditional on the distribution of the persons benefited 
thereby being made under the local supervision of the Protecting 
Powers. 

Such consignments shall be forwarded as rapidly as possible, 
and the Power which permits their free passage shall have the 
right to prescribe the technical arrangements under which such 
passage is allowed. {GO, art. 23.) 

263. Measures Relating to Child Welfare 

The Parties to the conflict shall take the necessary measures 
to ensure that children under fifteen, who are orphaned or are 
separated from their families as a result of the war, are not left 
to their own resources, and that their maintenance, the exercise 
of their religion and their education are facilitated in all circum- 
stances. Their education shall, as far as possible, be entrusted 
to persons of a similar cultural tradition. 

The Parties to the conflict shall facilitate the reception of such 
children in a neutral country for the duration of the conflict with 
the consent of the Protecting Power, if any, and under due safe- 
guards for the observance of the principles stated in the first 
paragraph. 

They shall, furthermore, endeavour to arrange for all children 
under twelve to be identified by the wearing of identity discs, or 
by some other means. (GO, art. £4.) 

264. Family News 

All persons in the territory of a Party to the conflict, or in a 
territory occupied by it, shall be enabled to give news of a strictly 
personal nature to members of their families, wherever they may 
be, and to receive news from them. This correspondence shall 
be forwarded speedily and without undue delay. 

If, as a result of circumstances, it becomes difficult or impos- 
sible to exchange family correspondence by the ordinary post, 
the Parties to the conflict concerned shall apply to a neutral 
intermediary, such as the Central Agency provided for in Article 
140, and shall decide in consultation with it how to ensure the 
fulfillment of their obligations under the best possible conditions, 
in particular with the cooperation of the National Red Cross (Red 
Crescent, Red Lion and Sun) Societies. 



105 



If the Parties to the conflict deem it necessary to restrict family- 
correspondence, such restrictions shall be confined to the com- 
pulsory use of standard forms containing twenty-fire freely 
chosen words, and to the limitation of the number of these forms 
despatched to one each month. (GO, art. 25.) 

265. Dispersed Families 

Each Party to the conflict shall facilitate enquiries made by 
members of families dispersed owing to the war, with the object 
of renewing contact with one another and of meeting, if possible. 
It shall encourage, in particular, the work of organizations en- 
gaged on this task provided they are acceptable to it and conform 
to its security regulations. (GO, art. 26.) 

Section III. PROVISIONS COMMON TO THE TERRITORIES OF THE 
PARTIES TO THE CONFLICT AND TO OCCUPIED TERRITORIES 

266. General 

Protected persons are entitled, in all circumstances, to respect 
for their persons, their honour, their family rights, their religious 
convictions and practices, and their manners and customs. They 
shall at all times be humanely treated, and shall be protected 
especially against all acts of violence or threats thereof and 
against insults and public curiosity. 

Women shall be especially protected against any attack on their 
honour, in particular against rape, enforced prostitution, or any 
form of indecent assault. 

Without prejudice to the provisions relating to their state of 
health, age and sex, all protected persons shall be treated with 
the same consideration by the Party to the conflict in whose power 
they are, without any adverse distinction based, in particular, on 
race, religion or political opinion. 

However, the Parties to the conflict may take such measures of 
control and security in regard to protected persons as may be 
necessary as a result of the war. (GO, art. 27.) 

267. Danger Zones 

The presence of a protected person may not be used to render 
certain points or areas immune from military operations. (GO, 
art. 28.) 

268. Responsibilities 

The Party to the conflict in whose hands protected persons may 
be, is responsible for the treatment accorded to them by its 
agents, irrespective of any individual responsibility which may 
be incurred. (GO, art. 29.) 



106 



269. Application to Prelecting Powers and Relief Organizations 
Protected persons shall have every facility for making appli- 
cation to the Protecting Powers, the International Committee of 
the Red Cross, the National Red Cross (Red Crescent, Red Lion 
and Sun) Society of the country where they may be, as well as to 
any organization that might assist them. 

These several organizations shall be granted all facilities for 
that purpose by the authorities, within the bounds set by military 
or security considerations. 

Apart from the visits of the delegates of the Protecting Powers 
and of the International Committee of the Red Cross, provided 
for by Article 143, the Detaining or Occupying Powers shall facili- 
tate as much as possible visits to protected persons by the repre- 
sentatives of other organizations whose object is to give spiritual 
aid or material relief to such persons. (GC, art. 30.) 

270. Prohibition of Coercion 

a. Treaty Provision. 

No physical or moral coercion shall be exercised against pro- 
tected persons, in particular to obtain information from them or 
from third parties. ( GO, art. SI.) 

b. Guides. Among the forms of coercion prohibited is the impress- 
ment of guides from the local inhabitants. 

271 . Prohibition of Corporal Punishment, Torture, Etc. 

The High Contracting Parties specifically agree that each of 
them is prohibited from taking any measure of such a character 
as to cause the physical suffering or extermination of protected 
persons in their hands. This prohibition applies not only to 
murder, torture, corporal punishment, mutilation and medical or 
scientific experiments not necessitated by the medical treatment 
of a protected person, but also to any other measures of brutality 
whether applied by civilian or military agents. (GO, art. 32.) 

272. Individual Responsibility, Collective Penalties, Reprisals, Pillage 
No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she 

has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise 
all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited. 
Pillage is prohibited. 

Reprisals against protected persons and their property are 
prohibited. {GO, art. 33.) {See also pars. 47 and 397.) 

273. Hostages 

The taking of hostages is prohibited. (GO, art. 34.) 



107 



Section IV. ALIENS IN THE TERRITORY OF A PARTY TO THE CONFLICT 



274. Right to Leave the Territory 

All protected persons who may desire to leave the territory at 
the outset of, or during a conflict, shall be entitled to do so, unless 
their depature is contrary to the national interest of the State. 
The applications of such persons to leave shall be decided in ac- 
cordance with regularly established procedures and the decision 
shall be taken as rapidly as possible. Those persons permitted 
to leave may provide themselves with the necessary funds for their 
journey and take with them a reasonable amount of their effects 
and articles of personal use. 

If any such person is refused permission to leave the territory, 
he shall be entitled to have such refusal reconsidered as soon as 
possible by an appropriate court or administrative board desig- 
nated by the Detaining Power for that purpose. 

Upon request, representatives of the Protecting Power shall, 
unless reasons of security prevent it, or the persons concerned 
object, be furnished with the reasons for refusal of any request 
for permission to leave the territory and be given, as expeditiously 
as possible, the names of all persons who have been denied per- 
mission to leave. (GO, art. $5.) 

275. Conditions of Departure 

Departures permitted under the foregoing Articles shall be 
carried out in satisfactory conditions as regards safety, hygiene, 
sanitation and food. All costs in connection therewith, from the 
point of exit in the territory of the Detaining Power, shall be 
borne by the country of destination, or, in the case of accommoda- 
tion in a neutral country, by the Power whose nationals are bene- 
fited. The practical details of such movements may, if necessary, 
be settled by special agreements between the Powers concerned. 

The foregoing shall not prejudice such special agreements as 
may be concluded between Parties to the conflict concerning the 
exchange and repatriation of their nationals in enemy hands. 
(GO, art. 36.) 

276. Persons in Confinement 

Protected persons who are confined pending proceedings or 
serving a sentence involving loss of liberty, shall during their 
confinement be humanely treated. 

As soon as they are released, they may ask to leave the territory 
in conformity with the foregoing Articles. (GO, art. 37.) 

277. Non-repatriated Persons: General 

With the exception of special measures authorized by the 
present Convention, in particular by Articles 27 and 41 thereof, 



108 



the situation of protected persons shall continue to be regulated, 
in principle, by the provisions concerning aliens in time of peace. 
In any case, the following rights shall be granted to them: 

(1) They shall be enabled to receive the individual or collec- 
tive relief that may be sent to them. 

(2) They shall, if their state of health so requires, receive 
medical attention and hospital treatment to the same 
extent as the nationals of the State concerned. 

(3) They shall be allowed to practise their religion and to 
receive spiritual assistance from ministers of their faith. 

(4) If they reside in an area particularly exposed to the 
dangers of war, they shall be authorised to move from 
that area to the same extent as the nationals of the State 
concerned. 

(5) Children under fifteen years, pregnant women and 
mothers of children under seven years shall benefit by 
any preferential treatment to the same extent as the na- 
tionals of the State concerned. (<?C, art. 88.) 

278. Non-repatriated Persons: Means of Existence 

Protected persons who, as a result of the war, have lost their 
gainful employment, shall be granted the opportunity to find 
paid employment. That opportunity shall, subject to security 
considerations and to the provisions of Article 40, be equal to that 
enjoyed by the nationals of the Power in whose territory they are. 

Where a Party to the conflict applies to a protected person 
methods of control which result in his being unable to support 
himself, and especially if such a person is prevented for reasons 
of security from finding paid employment on reasonable condi- 
tions, the said Party shall ensure his support and that of his 
dependents. 

Protected persons may in any case receive allowances from 
their home country, the Protecting Power, or the relief societies 
referred to in Article 30. ( GO, art. 39.) 

279. Non-repatriated Persons: Employment 

Protected persons may be compelled to work only to the same 
extent as nationals of the Party to the conflict in whose territory 
they are. 

If protected persons are of enemy nationality, they may only 
be compelled to do work which is normally necessary to ensure 
the feeding, sheltering, clothing, transport and health of human 
beings and which is not directly related to the conduct of military 
operations. 

In the cases mentioned in the two preceding paragraphs, pro- 
tected persons compelled to work shall have the benefit of the 



684524 0-63 — 8 



109 



same working conditions and of the same safeguards as national 1 
workers, in particular as regards wages, hours of labour, clothing 
and equipment, previous training and compensation for occupa- 
tional accidents and diseases. 

If the above provisions are infringed, protected persons shall 
be allowed to exercise their right of complaint in accordance with 
Article 30. ( GO, art. Jfi.) 

280. Internment or Assigned Residence 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Should the Power in whose hands protected persons may be 
consider the measures of control mentioned in the present Con- 
vention to be inadequate, it may not have recourse to any other 
measure of control more severe than that of assigned residence 
or internment, in accordance with the provisions of Articles 42 
and 43. 

In applying the provisions of Article 39, second paragraph, to 
the cases of persons required to leave their usual places of resi- 
dence by virtue of a decision placing them in assigned residence 
elsewhere, the Detaining Power shall be guided as closely as 
possible by the standards of welfare set forth in Part III, Section 
IV of this Convention. (<?<7, art. 41.) 

b. Penal Legislation. The foregoing provision does not preclude 
the application of ordinary penal legislation to protected persons. 

281. Grounds for Internment or Assigned Residence; Voluntary Intern- 

ment 

The internment or placing in assigned residence of protected 
persons may be ordered only if the security of the Detaining 
Power makes it absolutely necessary. 

If any person, acting through the representatives of the Pro- 
tecting Power, voluntarily demands internment, and if his situa- 
tion renders this step necessary, he shall be interned by the Power 
in whose hand he may be. (GO, art. 42-) 

282. Procedure 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Any protected person who has been interned or placed in as- 
signed residence shall be entitled to have such action reconsidered 
as soon as possible by an appropriate court or administrative 
board designated by the Detaining Power for that purpose. If 
the internment or placing in assigned residence is maintained, the 
court or administrative board shall periodically, and at least 
twice yearly, give consideration to his or her case with a view 



110 



to the favourable amendment of the initial decision, if circum- 
stances permit. 

Unless the protected persons concerned object, the Detaining 
Power shall, as rapidly as possible, give the Protecting Power 
the names of any protected persons who have been interned or 
subjected to assigned residence, or who have been released from 
internment or assigned residence. The decisions of the courts 
or boards mentioned in the first paragraph of the present Article 
shall also, subject to the same conditions, be notified as rapidly 
as possible to the Protecting Power. {GC, art. %3.) 

b. Prohibited Areas. The term "assigned residence" refers to 
measures taken with respect to individuals or families and does not 
include prohibitions on entry into or residence in specified zones, 
which have been imposed on groups of people by reason of their 
nationality or like criteria. 

283. Refugees 

a. Treaty Provision. 

In applying the measures of control mentioned in the present 
Convention, the Detaining Power shall not treat as enemy aliens 
exclusively on the basis of their nationality de jure of an enemy 
State, refugees who do not, in fact, enjoy the protection of any 
government. (GC, art. 

b. Purpose. The purpose of the foregoing article is to insure that 
refugees who may only technically remain enemy aliens are not on that 
basis automatically subject to control measures, notwithstanding the 
fact they actually are not protected by their government. However, 
the quoted provision does not in any way deny the right of a State 
to intern any such person or subject him to any other recognized 
measure of control when there is any additional reason that renders 
necessary the taking of such action as may be required for the security 
of the State in a moment of national crisis. 

284. Transfer to Another Power 

Protected persons shall not be transferred to a Power which 
is not a party to the Convention. 

This provision shall in no way constitute an obstacle to the 
repatriation of protected persons, or to their return to their 
country of residence after the cessation of hostilities. 

Protected persons may be transferred by the Detaining Power 
only to a Power which is a party to the present Convention after 
the Detaining Power has satisfied itself of the willingness and 
ability of such transferee Power to apply the present Convention. 
If protected persons are transferred under such circumstances, 
responsibility for the application of the present Convention rests 



111 



on the Power accepting them, while they are in its custody. 
Nevertheless, if that Power fails to carry out the provisions of 
the present Convention in any important respect, the Power by 
which the protected persons were transferred shall, upon being 
so notified by the Protecting Power, take effective measures to 
correct the situation or shall request the return of the protected 
persons. Such request must be complied with. 

In no circumstances shall a protected person be transferred to 
a country where he or she may have reason to fear persecution 
for his or her political opinions or religious beliefs. 

The provisions of this Article do not constitute an obstacle to 
the extradition, in pursuance of extradition treaties concluded 
before the outbreak of hostilities, of protected persons accused 
of offences against ordinary criminal law. (GO, art. Ifi.) 

285. Cancellation of Restrictive Measures 

In so far as they have not been previously withdrawn, restric- 
tive measures taken regarding protected persons shall be can- 
celled as soon as possible after the close of hostilities. 

Restrictive measures affecting their property shall be cancelled, 
in accordance with the law of the Detaining Power, as soon as 
possible after the close of hostilities. (GO, art. Ifi.) 

Section V. REGULATIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF INTERNEES 

286. Cases of Internment and Provisions Applicable 

The Parties to the conflict shall not intern protected persons, 
except in accordance with the provisions of Articles 41, 42, 43, 
68 and 78. (GO, art. 79.) 

287. Civil Capacity 

Internees shall retain their full civil capacity and shall exercise 
such attendant rights as may be compatible with their status. 

(GO, art. 80.) 

288. Maintenance 

Parties to the conflict who intern protected persons shall be 
bound to provide free of charge for their maintenance, and to 
grant them also the medical attention required by their state 
of health. 

No deduction from the allowances, salaries or credits due to 
the internees shall be made for the repayment of these costs. 

The Detaining Power shall provide for the support of those 
dependent on the internees, if such dependents are without ade- 
quate means of support or are unable to earn a living. (GO, 
art. 81.) 



1U 



289. Grouping of Internees 

The Detaining Power shall, as far as possible, accommodate the 
internees according to their nationality, language and customs. 
Internees who are nationals of the same country shall not be 
separated merely because they have different languages. 

Throughout the duration of their internment, members of the 
same family, and in particular parents and children, shall be 
lodged together in the same place of internment, except when 
separation of a temporary nature is necessitated for reasons of 
employment or health or for the purposes of enforcement of the 
provisions of Chapter IX of the present Section. Internees may 
request that their children who are left at liberty without 
parental care shall be interned with them. 

Wherever possible, interned members of the same family shall 
be housed in the same premises and given separate accommoda- 
tions from other internees, together with facilities for leading 
a proper family life. (GO, art. S3.) 

290. Location of Places of Internment 

The Detaining Power shall not set up places of internment in 
areas particularly exposed to the dangers of war. 

The Detaining Power shall give the enemy Powers, through the 
intermediary °f the Protecting Powers, all useful information 
regarding the geographical location of places of internment. 

Whenever military considerations permit, internment camps 
shall be indicated by the letters IC, placed so as to be clearly 
visible in the daytime from the air. The Powers concerned may, 
however, agree upon any other system of marking. No place 
other than an internment camp shall be marked as such. {GO, 
art. 83.) 

291. Separate Internment 

Internees shall be accommodated and administered separately 
from prisoners of war and from persons deprived of liberty for 
any other reason. {GO, art. 84.) 

292. Accommodation; Hygiene 

The Detaining Power is bound to take all necessary and possible 
measures to ensure that protected persons shall, from the outset 
of their internment, be accommodated in buildings or quarters 
which afford every possible safeguard as regards hygiene and 
health, and provide efficient protection against the rigours of 
the climate and the effects of the war. In no case shall permanent 
places of internment be situated in unhealthy areas, or in districts 
the climate of which is injurious to the internees. In all cases 
where the district, in which a protected person is temporarily 



113 



interned, is in an unhealthy area or has a climate which is harm- 
ful to his health, he shall be removed to a more suitable place 
of internment as rapidly as circumstances permit. 

The premises shall be fully protected from dampness, adequately 
heated and lighted, in particular between dusk and lights out. 
The sleeping quarters shall be sufficiently spacious and well 
ventilated, and the internees shall have suitable bedding and 
sufficient blankets, account being taken of the climate, and the 
age, sex, and state of health of the internees. 

Internees shall have for their use, day and night, sanitary 
conveniences which conform to the rules of hygiene and are con- 
stantly maintained in a state of cleanliness. They shall be pro- 
vided with sufficient water and soap for their daily personal 
toilet and for washing their personal laundry; installations and 
facilities necessary for this purpose shall be granted to them. 
Showers or baths shall also be available. The necessary time 
shall be set aside for washing and for cleaning. 

Whenever it is necessary, as an exceptional and temporary 
measure, to accommodate women internees who are not members 
of a family unit in the same place of internment as men, the 
provision of separate sleeping quarters and sanitary conveniences 
for the use of such women internees shall be obligatory. (GO, 
art. 85.) 

293. Premises for Religious Services 

The Detaining Power shall place at the disposal of interned 
persons, of whatever denomination, premises suitable for the 
holding of their religious services. (GO, art. 86.) 

294. Canteens 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Canteens shall be installed in every place of internment, except 
where other suitable facilities are available. Their purpose shall 
be to enable internees to make purchases, at prices not higher than 
local market prices, of foodstuffs and articles of everyday use, 
including soap and tobacco, such as would increase their personal 
well-being and comfort. 

Profits made by canteens shall be credited to a welfare fund 
to be set up for each place of internment, and administered for 
the benefit of the internees attached to such place of internment. 
The Internee Committee provided for in Article 102 shall have 
the right to check the management of the canteen and of the 
said fund. 

When a place of internment is closed down, the balance of the 
welfare fund shall be transferred to the welfare fund of a place 



114 



of internment for internees of the same nationality, or, if such a 
place does not exist, to a central welfare fund which shall be 
administered for the benefit of all internees remaining in the 
custody of the Detaining Power. In case of a general release, 
the said profits shall be kept by the Detaining Power, subject to 
any agreement to the contrary between the Powers concerned. 
(GO, art. 87.) 

b. Limitation on Privilege. Interned persons are not entitled to 
more favorable treatment than the population at large with respect 
to canteen facilities and are equally subject to regulations, such as 
those pertaining to rationing, which are applied to the population 
generally. 

295. Air-Raid Shelters and Protective Measures 

In all places of internment exposed to air raids and other 
hazards of war, shelters adequate in number and structure to 
ensure the necessary protection shall be installed. In case of 
alarms, the internees shall be free to enter such shelters as quickly 
as possible, excepting those who remain for the protection of 
their quarters against the aforesaid hazards. Any protective 
measures taken in favour of the population shall also apply to 
them. 

All due precautions must be taken in places of internment 
against the danger of fire. {GO, art. 88.) 

296. Food 

Daily food rations for internees shall be sufficient in quantity, 
quality, and variety to keep internees in a good state of health and 
prevent the development of nutritional deficiencies. Account 
shall also be taken of the customary diet of the internees. 

Internees shall also be given the means by which they can 
prepare for themselves any additional food in their possession. 

Sufficient drinking water shall be supplied to internees. The 
use of tobacco shall be permitted. 

Internees who work shall receive additional rations in propor- 
tion to the kind of labour which they perform. 

Expectant and nursing mothers, and children under fifteen 
years of age, shall be given additional food, in proportion to their 
physiological needs. {GO, art. 89.) 

297. Clothing 

When taken into custody, internees shall be given all facilities 
to provide themselves with the necessary clothing, footwear and 
change of underwear, and later on, to procure further supplies if 
required. Should any internees not have sufficient clothing, 
account being taken of the climate, and be unable to procure any, 



115 



it shall be provided free of charge to them by the Detaining 
Power. 

The clothing supplied by the Detaining Power to internees and 
the outward markings placed on their own clothes shall not be 
ignominious nor expose them to ridicule. 

Workers shall receive suitable working outfits, including pro- 
tective clothing, whenever the nature of their work so requires. 
(GO, art. 90.) 

298. Medical Attention 

Every place of internment shall have an adequate infirmary, 
under the direction of a qualified doctor, where internees may 
have the attention they require, as well as an appropriate diet. 
Isolation wards shall be set aside for cases of contagious or 
mental diseases. 

Maternity cases and internees suffering from serious diseases, 
or whose condition requires special treatment, a surgical opera- 
tion or hospital care, must be admitted to any institution where 
adequate treatment can be given and shall receive care not 
inferior to that provided for the general population. 

Internees shall, for preference, have the attention of medical 
personnel of their own nationality. 

Internees may not be prevented from presenting themselves 
to the medical authorities for examination. The medical authori- 
ties of the Detaining Power shall, upon request, issue to every in- 
ternee who has undergone treatment an official certificate showing 
the nature of his illness or injury, and the duration and nature of 
the treatment given. A duplicate of this certificate shall be for- 
warded to the Central Agency provided for in Article 140. 

Treatment, including the provision of any apparatus necessary 
for the maintenance of internees in good health, particularly 
dentures and other artificial appliances and spectacles, shall be 
free of charge to the internee. (GO, art. 91.) 

299. Medical Inspection 

Medical inspections of Internees shall be made at least once 
a month. Their purpose shall be, in particular, to supervise the 
general state of health, nutrition and cleanliness of internees, 
and to detect contagious diseases, especially tuberculosis, ma- 
laria, and venereal diseases. Such inspections shall include, in 
particular, the checking of weight of each internee and, at least 
once a year, radioscopic examination. (GO, art. 9%.) 

300. Religious Freedoms 

Internees shall enjoy complete latitude in the exercise of their 
religious duties, including attendance at the services of their 



116 



faith, on condition that they comply with the disciplinary routine 
prescribed by the detaining authorities. 

Ministers of religion who are interned shall be allowed to 
minister freely to the members of their community. For this 
purpose, the Detaining Power shall ensure their equitable alloca- 
tion amongst the various places of internment in which there are 
internees speaking the same language and belonging to the same 
religion. Should such ministers be too few in number, the De- 
taining Power shall provide them with the necessary facilities, 
including means of transport, for moving from one place to 
another, and they shall be authorized to visit any internees who 
are in hospital. Ministers of religion shall be at liberty to corre- 
spond on matters concerning their ministry with the religious 
authorities in the country of detention and, as far as possible, 
with the international religious organizations of their faith. Such 
correspondence shall not be considered as forming a part of the 
quota mentioned in Article 107. It shall, however, be subject to 
the provisions of Article 112. 

When internees do not have at their disposal the assistance of 
ministers of their faith, or should these latter be too few in 
number, the local religious authorities of the same faith may 
appoint, in agreement with the Detaining Power, a minister of 
the internees' faith or, if such a course is feasible from a denomi- 
national point of view, a minister of similar religion or a qualified 
layman. The latter shall enjoy the facilities granted to the 
ministry he has assumed. Persons so appointed shall comply 
with all regulations laid down by the Detaining Power in the 
interests of discipline and security. (GC, art. 93.) 

301 . Recreational Study, Sports, and Games 

The Detaining Power shall encourage intellectual, educational 
and recreational pursuits, sports and games amongst internees, 
whilst leaving them free to take part in them or not. It shall take 
all practicable measures to ensure the exercise thereof, in particu- 
lar by providing suitable premises. 

All possible facilities shall be granted to internees to continue 
their studies or to take up new subjects. The education of chil- 
dren and young people shall be ensured; they shall be allowed to 
attend schools either within the place of internment or outside. 

Internees shall be given opportunities for physical exercise, 
sports and outdoor games. For this purpose, sufficient open 
spaces shall be set aside in all places of internment. Special 
playgrounds shall be reserved for children and young people. 
(GO, art. 94-) 



117 



302. Working Conditions 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The Detaining Power shall not employ internees as workers, 
unless they so desire. Employment which, if undertaken under 
compulsion by a protected person not in internment, would in- 
volve a breach of Articles 40 or 51 of the present Convention, and 
employment on work which is of a degrading or humilitating 
character are in any case prohibited. 

After a working period of six weeks, internees shall be free 
to give up work at any moment, subject to eight days' notice. 

These provisions constitute no obstacle to the right of the De- 
taining power to employ interned doctors, dentists and other 
medical personnel in their professional capacity on behalf of 
their fellow internees, or to employ internees for administrative 
and maintenance work in places of internment and to detail such 
persons for work in the kitchens or for other domestic tasks, or 
to require such persons to undertake duties connected with the 
protection of internees against aerial bombardment or other war 
risks. No internee may, however, be required to perform tasks for 
which he is, in the opinion of a medical officer, physically unsuited. 

The Detaining Power shall take entire responsibility for all 
working conditions, for medical attention, for the payment of 
wages, and for ensuring that all employed internees receive com- 
pensation for occupational accidents and diseases. The standards 
prescribed for the said working conditions and for compensation 
shall be in accordance with the national laws and regulations, 
and with the existing practice; they shall in no case be inferior 
to those obtaining for work of the same nature in the same dis- 
trict. Wages for work done shall be determined on an equitable 
basis by special agreements between the internees, the Detaining 
Power, and, if the case arises, employers other than the Detaining 
Power, due regard being paid to the obligation of the Detaining 
Power to provide for free maintenance of internees and for the 
medical attention which their state of health may require. In- 
ternees permanently detailed for categories of work mentioned 
in the third paragraph of this Article, shall be paid fair wages 
by the Detaining Power. The working conditions and the scale 
of compensation for occupational accidents and diseases to 
internees thus detailed, shall not be inferior to those applicable 
to work of the same nature in the same district. (GO, art. 95.) 

b. Wages. Since internees are free of normal financial responsi- 
bilities, they are not entitled to receive from the Detaining Power by 
way of wages the whole of the amount paid over by their employers. 



118 



303. Labor Detachments 

All labour detachments shall remain part of and dependent 
upon a place of internment. The competent authorities of the 
Detaining Power and the commandant of a place of internment 
shall be responsible for the observance in a labour detachment 
of the provisions of the present Convention. The commandant 
shall keep an up-to-date list of the labour detachments subordi- 
nate to him and shall communicate it to the delegates of the 
Protecting Power, of the International Committee of the Red 
Cross and of other humanitarian organizations who may visit the 
places of internment. (GC, art. 96.) 

304. Valuables and Personal Effects 

Internees shall be permitted to retain articles of personal use. 
Monies, cheques, bonds, etc., and valuables in their possession may 
not be taken from them except in accordance with established 
procedure. Detailed receipts shall be given therefor. 

The amounts shall be paid into the account of every internee 
as provided for in Article 98. Such amounts may not be converted 
into any other currency unless legislation in force in the territory 
in which the owner is interned so requires or the internee gives 
his consent. 

Articles which have above all a personal or sentimental value 
may not be taken away. 

A woman internee shall not be searched except by a woman. 

On release or repatriation, internees shall be given all articles, 
monies or other valuables taken from them during internment 
and shall receive in currency the balance of any credit to their 
accounts kept in accordance with Article 98, with the exception 
of any articles or amounts withheld by the Detaining Power by 
virtue of its legislation in force. If the property of an internee 
is so withheld, the owner shall receive a detailed receipt. 

Family or identity documents in the possession of internees 
may not be taken away without a receipt being given. At no time 
shall internees be left without identity documents. If they have 
none, they shall be issued with special documents drawn up by the 
detaining authorities, which will serve as their identity papers 
until the end of their internment. 

Internees may keep on their persons a certain amount of money, 
in cash or in the shape of purchase coupons, to enable them to 
make p urchases. (GO, art. 97.) 

305. Financial Allowance and Individual Accounts 

All internees shall receive regular allowances, sufficient to 
enable them to purchase goods and articles, such as tobacco, 



119 



toilet requisites, etc. Such allowances may take the form of 
credits or purchase coupons. 

Furthermore, internees may receive allowances from the Power 
to which they owe allegiance, the Protecting Powers, the organi- 
zations which may assist them, or their families, as well as the 
income on their property in accordance with the law of the De- 
taining Power. The amount of allowances granted by the Power 
to which they owe allegiance shall be the same for each category 
of internees (infirm, sick, pregnant women, etc), but may not be 
allocated by that Power or distributed by the Detaining Power on 
the basis of discriminations between internees which are pro- 
hibited by Article 27 of the present Convention. 

The Detaining Power shall open a regular account for every 
internee, to which shall be credited the allowances named in the 
present Article, the wages earned and the remittances received, 
together with such sums taken from him as may be available 
under the legislation in force in the territory in which he is 
interned. Internees shall be granted all facilities consistent with 
the legislation in force in such territory to make remittances to 
their families and to other dependants. They may draw from 
their accounts the amounts necessary for their personal expenses, 
within the limits fixed by the Detaining Power. They shall at 
all times be afforded reasonable facilities for consulting and 
obtaining copies of their accounts. A statement of accounts shall 
be furnished to the Protecting Power on request, and shall accom- 
pany the internee in case of transfer. {GO, art. 98.) 

306. Camp Administration 

Every place of internment shall be put under the authority of 
a responsible officer, chosen from the regular military forces or 
the regular civil administration of the Detaining Power. The 
officer in charge of the place of internment must have in his 
possession a copy of the present Convention in the official lan- 
guage, or one of the official languages, of his country and shall 
be responsible for its application. The staff in control of internees 
shall be instructed in the provisions of the present Convention 
and of the administrative measures adopted to ensure its appli- 
cation. 

The text of the present Convention and the texts of special 
agreements concluded under the said Convention shall be posted 
inside the place of internment, in a language which the intern- 
ees understand, or shall be in the possession of the Internee 
Committee. 



120 



Regulations, orders, notices and publications of every kind 
shall be communicated to the internees and posted inside the 
places of internment, in a language which they understand. 

Every order and command addressed to internees individually, 
must likewise, be given in a language which they understand. 
{GC,art.99.) 

307. General Discipline 

The disciplinary regime in places of internment shall be con- 
sistent with humanitarian principles, and shall in no circum- 
stances include regulations imposing on internees any physical 
exertion dangerous to their health or involving physical or moral 
victimization. Identification by tattooing or imprinting signs or 
markings on the body, is prohibited. 

In particular, prolonged standing and roll-calls, punishment 
drill, military drill and manoeuvres, or the reduction of food 
rations, are prohibited. {GC, art. 100.) 

308. Complaints and Petitions 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Internees shall have the right to present to the authorities in 
whose power they are, any petition with regard to the conditions 
of internment to which they are subjected. 

They shall also have the right to apply without restriction 
through the Internee Committee or, if they consider it necessary, 
direct to the representatives of the Protecting Power, in order 
to indicate to them any points on which they may have complaints 
to make with regard to the conditions of internment 

Such petitions and complaints shall be transmitted forthwith 
and without alteration, and even if the latter are recognized to be 
unfounded, they may not occasion any punishment. 

Periodic reports on the situation in places of internment and as 
tQrthe needs of the internees, may be sent by the Internee Com- 
mittees to the representatives of the Protecting Powers. (GC, 
art. 101.) 

b. Censorship. The Detaining Power has the right to examine and 
censor the complaints, petitions, and reports referred to above in the 
same manner as correspondence addressed to internees or despatched 
by them. It may also examine such complaints and reports to the 
representatives of the Protecting Power to verify that they are what 
they purport to be and to delete matter not constituting either a com- 
plaint or a report within the meaning of the foregoing provision. 

309. Election of Internee Committees 

In every place of internment, the internees shall freely elect by 
secret ballot every six months, the members of a Committee em- 



121 



powered to represent them before the Detaining and the Protect- 
ing Powers, the International Committee of the Red Cross and 
any other organization which may assist them. The members of 
the Committee shall be eligible for re-election. 

Internees so elected shall enter upon their duties after their 
election has been approved by the detaining authorities. The 
reasons for any refusals or dismissals shall be communicated to 
the Protecting Powers concerned, (&C, art. 102.) 

310. Duties of Internee Committees 

The Internee Committees shall further the physical, spiritual 
and intellectual well-being of the internees. 

In case the internees decide, in particular, to organize a system 
of mutual assistance amongst themselves, this organization 
would be within the competence of the Committees in addition 
to the special duties entrusted to them under other provisions 
of the present Convention, art. 103.) 

311. Prerogatives of Internee Committees 

Members of Internee Committees shall not be required to per- 
form any other work, if the accomplishment of their duties is 
rendered more difficult thereby. 

Members of Internee Committees may appoint from amongst 
the internees such assistants as they may require. All material 
facilities shall be granted to them, particularly a certain free- 
dom of movement necessary for the accomplishment of their 
duties (visits to labour detachments, receipt of supplies, etc.). 

All facilities shall likewise be accorded to members of Internee 
Committees for communication by post and telegraph with the 
detaining authorities, the Protecting Powers, the International 
Committee of the Red Cross and their delegates, and with the 
organizations which give assistance to internees. Committee 
members in labour detachments shall enjoy similar facilities 
for communication with their Internee Committee in the principal 
place of internment. Such communications shall not be limited, 
nor considered as forming a part of the quota mentioned in Article 
107. 

Members of Internee Committees who are transferred shall be 
allowed a reasonable time to acquaint their successors with 
current affairs. (<?<7, art. 104.) 

312. Notification of Measures Taken 

Immediately upon interning protected persons, the Detaining 
Powers shall inform them, the Power to which they owe allegiance 
and their Protecting Power of the measures taken for executing 
the provisions of the present Chapter. The Detaining Powers 



122 



shall likewise inform the Parties concerned of any subsequent 
modifications of such measures. (GC, art. 105.) 

313. Internment Card 

As soon as he is interned, or at the latest not more than one 
week after his arrival in a place of internment, and likewise in 
cases of sickness or transfer to another place of internment 
or to a hospital, every internee shall be enabled to send direct 
to his family, on the one hand, and to the Central Agency pro- 
vided for by Article 140, on the other, an internment card similar, 
if possible, to the model annexed to the present Convention, in- 
forming his relatives of his detention, address and state of 
health. The said cards shall be forwarded as rapidly as pos- 
sible and may not be delayed in any way. {GC, art. 106.) 

314. Correspondence 

Internees shall be allowed to send and receive letters and cards. 
If the Detaining Power deems it necessary to limit the number of 
letters and cards sent by each internee, the said number shall 
not be less than two letters and four cards monthly; these shall 
be drawn up so as to conform as closely as possible to the models 
annexed to the present Convention. If limitations must be placed 
on the correspondence addressed to internees, they may be or- 
dered only by the Power to which such internees owe allegiance, 
possibly at the request of the Detaining Power. Such letters and 
cards must be conveyed with reasonable despatch; they may not 
be delayed or retained for disciplinary reasons. 

Internees who have been a long time without news, or who find 
it impossible to receive news from their relatives, or to give them 
news by the ordinary postal route, as well as those who are at a 
considerable distance from their homes, shall be allowed to send 
telegrams, the charges being paid by them in the currency at 
their disposal. They shall likewise benefit by this provision in 
cases which are recognized to be urgent. 

As a rule, internees' mail shall be written in their own language. 
The Parties to the conflict may authorize correspondence in other 
languages. {GC, art. 107.) 

315. Relief Shipments 

Internees shall be allowed to receive, by post or by any other 
means, individual parcels or collective shipments containing in 
particular foodstuffs, clothing, medical supplies, as well as books 
and objects of a devotional, educational or recreational char- 
acter which may meet their needs. Such shipments shall in no 
way free the Detaining Power from the obligations imposed upon 
it by virtue of the present Convention. 



123 



Should military necessity require the quantity of such ship- 
ments to be limited, due notice thereof shall be given to the Pro- 
tecting Power and to the International Committee of the Red 
Cross, or to any other organization giving assistance to the inter- 
nees and responsible for the forwarding of such shipments. 

The conditions for the sending of individual parcels and col- 
lective shipments shall, if necessary, be the subject of special 
agreements between the Powers concerned, which may in no 
case delay the receipt by the internees of relief supplies. Parcels 
of clothing and foodstuffs may not include books. Medical relief 
supplies shall, as a rule, be sent in collective parcels. (GO, 
art. 108.) 

316. Collective Relief 

In the absence of special agreements between Parties to the 
conflict regarding the conditions for the receipt and distribu- 
tion of collective relief shipments, the regulations concerning 
collective relief which are annexed to the present Convention 
shall be applied. 

The special agreements provided for above shall in no case 
restrict the right of Internee Committees to take possession of 
collective relief shipments intended for internees, to undertake 
their distribution and to dispose of them in the interests of the 
recipients. 

Nor shall such agreements restrict the right of representatives 
of the Protecting Powers, the International Committee of the 
Red Cross, or any other organization giving assistance to in- 
ternees and responsible for the forwarding of collective ship- 
ments, to supervise their distribution to the recipients. (GO, 
art. 109.) 

317. Exemption From Postal and Transport Charges 

a. Treaty Provision. 

All relief shipments for internees shall be exempt from import, 
customs and other dues. 

All matter sent by mail, including relief parcels sent by parcel 
post and remittances of money, addressed from other countries 
to internees or despatched by them through the post office, either 
direct or through the Information Bureaux provided for in 
Article 136 and the Central Information Agency provided for in 
Article 140, shall be exempt from all postal dues both in the 
countries of origin and destination and in intermediate coun- 
tries. To this end, in particular, the exemption provided by the 
Universal Postal Convention of 1947 and by the agreements of 



124 



the Universal Postal Union in favour of civilians of enemy nation- 
ality detained in camps or civilian prisons, shall be extended 
to the other interned persons protected by the present Convention. 
The countries not signatory to the above-mentioned agreements 
shall be bound to grant freedom from charges in the same cir- 
cumstances. 

The cost of transporting relief shipments which are intended 
for internees and which, by reason of their weight or any other 
cause, cannot be sent through the post office, shall be borne by 
the Detaining Power in all the territories under its control. Other 
Powers which are Parties to the present Convention shall bear 
the cost of transport in their respective territories. 

Costs connected with the transport of such shipments, which 
are not covered by the above paragraphs, shall be charged to the 
senders. 

The High Contracting Parties shall endeavour to reduce, so far 
as possible, the charges for telegrams sent by internees, or 
addressed to them. (OC, art. 220.) 

b. Exemption Under Universal Postal Convention of 2952. See 
paragraph .150&. 

318. Special Means of Transport 

Should military operations prevent the Powers concerned from 
fulfilling their obligation to ensure the conveyance of the mail 
and relief shipments provided for in Articles 106, 107, 108 and 
113, the Protecting Powers concerned, the International Com- 
mittee of the Red Cross or any other organization duly approved 
by the Parties to the conflict may undertake the conveyance of 
such shipments by suitable means (rail, motor vehicles, vessels 
or aircraft, etc.). For this purpose, the High Contracting Parties 
shall endeavour to supply them with such transport, and to 
allow its circulation, especially by granting the necessary safe- 
conducts. 

Such transport may also be used to convey ; 

(a) correspondence, lists and reports exchanged between the 
Central Information Agency referred to in Article 140 
and the National Bureaux referred to in Article 136; 

(b) correspondence and reports relating to internees which 
the Protecting Powers, the International Committee of 
the Red Cross or any other organization assisting the 
internees exchange either with their own delegates or 
with the Parties to the conflict. 

These provisions in no way detract from the right of any Party 
to the conflict to arrange other means of transport if it should 



684524 0-63^9 



125 



so prefer, nor precluding the granting of safe-conducts, under 
mutually agreed conditions, to such means of transport. 

The costs occasioned by the use of such means of transport 
shall be borne, in proportion to the importance of the shipments, 
by the Parties to the conflict whose nationals are benefited thereby. 
{GG, art. 111.) 

319. Censorship and Examination 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The censoring of correspondence addressed to internees or 
despatched by them shall be done as quickly as possible. 

The examination of consignments intended for internees shall 
not be carried out under conditions that will expose the goods 
in them to deterioration. It shall be done in the presence of the 
addressee, or of a fellow-internee duly delegated by him. The de- 
livery to internees of individual or collective consignments shall 
not be delayed under the pretext of difficulties of censorship. 

Any prohibition of correspondence ordered by the Parties to 
the conflict either for military or political reasons, shall be only 
temporary and its duration shall be as short as possible. {GG, 
art. 112.) 

b. Material Subject to Censorship. The Detaining Power may 
examine and censor all communications sent to or by internees, in- 
cluding correspondence and telegrams (GG, art. 107; par. 314 herein) 
and relief shipments {GO, art, 108; par. 315 herein) with a view to 
deleting matter prejudicial to its military security. See paragraph 
3085 concerning the censorship of complaints, petitions, and reports 
submitted pursuant to Article 101, GG. 

320. Execution and Transmission of Legal Documents 

The Detaining Powers shall provide all reasonable facilities 
for the transmission through the Protecting Power or the Central 
Agency provided for in Article 140, or as otherwise required, of 
wills, powers of attorney, letters of authority, or any other docu- 
ments intended for internees or despatched by them. 

In all cases the Detaining Powers shall facilitate the execution 
and authentication in due legal form of such documents on 
behalf of internees, in particular by allowing them to consult 
a lawyer. ( GG, art. 113. ) 

321. Management of Property 

The Detaining Power shall afford internees all facilities to 
enable them to manage their property, provided this is not incom- 
patible with the conditions of internment and the law which is 
applicable. For this purpose, the said Power may give them per- 
mission to leave the place of internment in urgent cases and if 
circumstances allow. {GG, art. 114.) 
126 



322. Facilities for Preparation and Conduct of Cases 

In all cases where an internee is a party to proceedings in any 
court, the Detaining Power shall, if he so requests, cause the court 
to be informed of his detention and shall, within legal limits, en- 
sure that all necessary steps are taken to prevent him from being 
in any way prejudiced, by reason of his internment, as regards the 
preparation and conduct of his case or as regards the execution 
of any judgment of the court. (GO, art 115.) 

323. Visits 

Every internee shall be allowed to receive visitors, especially 
near relatives, at regular intervals and as frequently as possible. 

As far as is possible, internees shall be permitted to visit their 
homes in urgent cases, particularly in cases of death or serious 
illness of relatives. {GC, art. 116.) 

324. Penal and Disciplinary Sanctions: General Provisions 

Subject to the provisions of the present Chapter, the laws in 
force in the territory in which they are detained will continue to 
apply to internees who commit offences during internment. 

If general laws, regulations or orders declare acts committed 
by internees to be punishable, whereas the same acts are not 
punishable when committed by persons who are not internees, 
such acts shall entail disciplinary punishments only. 

No internee may be punished more than once for the same act, 
or on the same count. (GO, art. 117.) 

325. Penalties 

The courts or authorities shall in passing sentence take as far 
as possible into account the fact that the defendant is not a na* 
tional of the Detaining Power. They shall be free to reduce the 
penalty prescribed for the offence with which the internee is 
charged and shall not be obliged, to this end, to apply the minimum 
sentence prescribed. 

Imprisonment in premises without daylight and, in general, 
all forms of cruelty without exception are forbidden. 

Internees who have served disciplinary or judicial sentences 
shall not be treated differently from other internees. 

The duration of preventive detention undergone by an internee 
shall be deducted from any disciplinary or judicial penalty in- 
volving confinement to which he may be sentenced. 

Internee Committees shall be informed of all judicial proceed- 
ings instituted against internees whom they represent, and of 
their result. (GC, art 118.) 



127 



326. Disciplinary Punishments 

The disciplinary punishments applicable to internees shall be 
the following: 

(1) A fine which shall not exceed 50 per cent of the wages 
which the internee would otherwise receive under the 
provisions of Article 95 during a period of not more than 
thirty days. 

(2) Discontinuance of privileges granted over and above the 
treatment provided for by the present Convention. 

(3) Fatigue duties, not exceeding two hours daily, in connec- 
tion with the maintenance of the place of internment. 

(4) Confinement. 

In no case shall disciplinary penalties be inhuman, brutal or 
dangerous for the health of internees. Account shall be taken 
of the internee's age, sex and state of health. 

The duration of any single punishment shall in no case exceed 
a maximum of thirty consecutive days, even if the internee is 
answerable for several breaches of discipline when his case is 
dealt with, whether such breaches are connected or not. (GO, 
art. 119.) 

327. Escapes 

Internees who are recaptured after having escaped or when 
attempting to escape, shall be liable only to disciplinary punish- 
ment in respect of this act, even if it a repeated offence. 

Article 118, paragraph 3, notwithstanding, internees punished 
as a result of escape or attempt to escape, may be subjected to 
special surveillance, on condition that such surveillance does not 
affect the state of their health, that it is exercised in a place of 
internment and that it does not entail the abolition of any of the 
safeguards granted by the present Convention. 

Internees who aid and abet an escape or attempt to escape, 
shall be liable on this count to disciplinary punishment only. 
{GO, art. 120.) 

328. Connected Offenses 

Escape, or attempt to escape, even if it is a repeated offence, 
shall not be deemed an aggravating circumstance in cases where 
an internee is prosecuted for offences committed during his 
escape. 

The Parties to the conflict shall ensure that the competent 
authorities exercise leniency in deciding whether punishment 
inflicted for an offence shall be of a disciplinary or judicial nature, 
especially in respect of acts committed in connection with an 
escape, whether successful or not. (GO, art. 121.) 



128 



329. Investigations and Confinement Awaiting Hearing 

Acts which constitute offences against discipline shall be in- 
vestigated immediately. This rule shall be applied, in particular, 
in cases of escape or attempt to escape. Recaptured internees 
shall be handed over to the competent authorities as soon as 
possible. 

In cases of offences against discipline, confinement awaiting 
trial shall be reduced to an absolute minimum for all internees, 
and shall not exceed fourteen days. Its duration shall in any 
case be deducted from any sentence of confinement. 

The provisions of Articles 124 and 125 shall apply to internees 
who are in confinement awaiting trial for offences against disci- 
pline. (GC,art. m.y 

330. Procedure 

Without prejudice to the competence of courts and higher au- 
thorities, disciplinary punishment may be ordered only by the 
commandant of the place of internment, or by a responsible officer 
or official who replaces him, or to whom he has delegated his 
disciplinary powers. 

Before any disciplinary punishment is awarded, the accused 
internee shall be given precise information regarding the offences 
of which he is accused, and given an opportunity of explaining his 
conduct and of defending himself. He shall be permitted, in 
particular, to call witnesses and to have recourse, if necessary, to 
the services of a qualified interpreter. The decision shall be an- 
nounced in the presence of the accused and of a member of the 
Internee Committee. 

The period elapsing between the time of award of a disciplinary 
punishment and its execution shall not exceed one month. 

When an internee is awarded a further disciplinary punish- 
ment, a period of at least three days shall elapse between the 
execution of any two of the punishments, if the duration of one. 
©f these is ten days or more. 

A record of disciplinary punishments shall be maintained by 
the commandant of the place of internment and shall be open to 
inspection by representatives of the Protecting Power. {GO^ 
art. 123.) 

331. Premises for Disciplinary Punishments 

Internees shall not in any case be transferred to penitentiary 
establishments (prisons, penitentiaries, convict prisons, etc.) to 
undergo punishment therein. 

The premises in which disciplinary punishments are undergone 
shall conform to sanitary requirements; they shall in particular 
be provided with adequate bedding. Internees undergoing pun- 



129 



ishment shall be enabled to keep themselves in a state of 
cleanliness. 

Women internees undergoing disciplinary punishment shall be 
confined in separate quarters from male internees and shall be 
under the immediate supervision of women. (GO, art. J 24.) 

332. Essential Safeguards 

Internees awarded disciplinary punishment shall be allowed to 
exercise and to stay in the open air at least two hours daily. 

They shall be allowed, if they so request, to be present at the 
daily medical inspections. They shall receive the attention 
which their state of health requires and, if necessary, shall be 
removed to the infirmary of the place of internment or to a 
hospital. 

They shall have permission to read and write, likewise to send 
and receive letters. Parcels and remittances of money, how- 
ever, may be withheld from them until the completion of their 
punishment; such consignments shall meanwhile be entrusted 
to the Internee Committee, who will hand over to the infirmary 
the perishable goods contained in the parcels. 

No internee given a disciplinary punishment may be deprived 
of the benefit of the provisions of Articles 107 and 143 of .the 
Present Convention. (GO, art. 1%5.) 

333. Provisions Applicable to Judicial Proceedings 

The provisions of Articles 71 to 76 inclusive shall apply, by 
analogy, to proceedings against internees who are in the national 
territory of the Detaining Power. (GO, art 126.) 

334. Transfers: Conditions 

The transfer of internees shall always be effected humanely. 
As a general rule, it shall be carried out by rail or other means 
of transport, and under conditions at least equal to those obtain- 
ing for the forces of the Detaining Power in their changes of 
station. If, as an exceptional measure, such removals have to be 
effected on foot, they may not take place unless the internees are 
in a fit state of health, and may not in any case expose them to 
excessive fatigue. 

The Detaining Power shall supply internees during transfer 
with drinking water and food sufficient in quantity, quality and 
variety to maintain them in good health, and also with the neces- 
sary clothing, adequate shelter and the necessary medical atten- 
tion. The Detaining Power shall take all suitable precautions to 
ensure their safety during transfer, and shall establish before 
their departure a complete list of all internees transferred. 



T30 



Sick, wounded or infirm internees and maternity cases shall 
not be transferred if the journey would be seriously detrimental 
to them, unless their safety imperatively so demands. 

If the combat zone draws close to a place of internment, the 
internees in the said place shall not be transferred unless their 
removal can be carried out in adequate conditions of safety, or 
unless they are exposed to greater risks by remaining on the spot 
than by being transferred. 

When making decisions regarding the transfer of internees, 
the Detaining Power shall take their interests into account and, 
in particular, shall not do anything to increase the difficulties 
of repatriating them or returning them to their own homes. {GO-, 
art. 127.) 

335. Transfer!: Method 

In the event of transfer, internees shall be officially advised 
of their departure and of their new postal address. Such notifi- 
cation shall be given in time for them to pack their luggage and 
inform their next of kin. 

They shall be allowed to take with them their personal effects, 
and the correspondence and parcels which have arrived for them. 
The weight of such baggage may be limited if the conditions 
of transfer so require, but in no case to less than twenty-five 
kilograms per internee [55 pounds]. 

Mail and parcels addressed to their former place of internment 
shall be forwarded to them without delay. 

The commandant of the place of internment shall take, in 
agreement with the Internee Committee, any measures needed 
to ensure the transport of the internees' community property and 
of the luggage the internees are unable to take with them in con- 
sequence of restrictions imposed by virtue of the second paragraph. 
(GC, art. 128.) 

336. Wills and Death Certificates 

The wills of internees shall be received for safe-keeping by the 
responsible authorities; and in the event of the death of an in- 
ternee his will shall be transmitted without delay to a person, 
whom he has previously designated. 

Deaths of internees shall be certified in every case by a doctor, 
and a death certificate shall be made out, showing the causes of 
death and the conditions under which it occurred. 

An official record of the death, duly registered, shall be drawn 
up in accordance with the procedure relating thereto in force in 
the territory where the place of internment is situated, and a 
duly certified copy of such record shall be transmitted without 



131 



delay to the Protecting Power as well as to the Central Agency 
referred to in Article 140. (GO, art. 129.) 

337. Burial and Cremation 

The detaining authorities shall ensure that internees who die 
while interned are honourably buried, if possible according to 
the rites of the religion to which they belonged, and that their 
graves are respected, properly maintained, and marked in such 
a way that they can always be recognized. 

Deceased internees shall be buried in individual graves unless 
unavoidable circumsances require the use of collective graves. 
Bodies may be cremated only for imperative reasons of hygiene 
on account of the religion of the deceased or in accordance with 
his expressed wish to this effect. In case of cremation, the fact 
shall be stated and the reasons given in the' death certificate of 
the deceased. The ashes shall be retained for safe-keeping- by 
the detaining authorities and shall be transferred as soon as 
possible to the next of kin on their request. 

As soon as circumstances permit, and not later than the close 
of hostilities, the Detaining Power shall forward lists of graves 
of deceased internees to the Powers on whom the .deceased in- 
ternees depended, through the Information Bureaux provided for 
in Article 136. Such lists shall include all particulars necessary 
for the identification of the deceased internees, as well as the 
exact location of their graves. (GC t -.art. 130.) 

338. Internees Killed or Injured In Special Circumstances 

a. Txeaty Provision. 

Every death or serious injury of an internee, caused or sus- 
pected to have been caused by a sentry, another internee or any 
other. person, as well as any death the cause of which is unknown, 
shall be immediately followed by an official inquiry by the 
Detaining Power. 

A communication on this subject shall be sent immediately to 
the Protecting Power. The. evidence of any witnesses shall be 
taken, and a report including such evidence shall be prepared and 
forwarded to the said Protecting Power. 

If the enquiry indicates the guilt of one or more persons, the 
Detaining Power shall take all necessary steps to ensure the 
prosecution of the person or persons responsible. (GO, art. 131.) 

b. Criminal Prosecution. If a criminal prosecution is undertaken 
on the facts revealed on preliminary investigation, there need not be 
any other official inquiry. 



132 



339. Release, Repatriation, and Accommodation in Neutral Countries 

During Hostilities or Occupation 
Each interned person shall be released by the Detaining Power 
as soon as the reasons which necessitated his internment no longer 
exist. 

The Parties to the conflict shall, moreover, endeavour during 
the course of hostilities, to conclude agreements for the release, 
the repatriation, the return to places of residence or the accom- 
modation in a neutral country of certain classes of internees, 
in particular children, pregnant women and mothers with infants 
and young children, wounded and sick, and internees who have 
been detained for a long time. (GO, art. 132.) 

340. Release, Repatriation, and Accommodation in Neutral Countries 

After the Close of Hostilities 
Internment shall cease as soon as possible after the close of 
hostilities. 

Internees in the territory of a Party to the conflict against 
whom penal proceedings are pending for offences not exclusively 
subject to disciplinary penalties, may be detained until the close 
of such proceedings and, if circumstances require, until the com- 
pletion of the penalty. . The same shall apply to internees who 
have been previously sentenced to a punishment depriving them 
of liberty. 

By agreement between the Detaining Power and the Powers 
concerned, committees may be set up after the close of hostilities, 
or of the occupation of territories, to search for dispersed 
internees. {GO, art. 133.) 

341 . Repatriation and Return to Last Place of Residence 

The High Contracting Parties shall endeavour, upon the close 
of hostilities or occupation, to ensure the return of all internees 
to their last place of residence, or to facilitate their repatriation. 

(GC,art.m.) 

342. Costs 

The Detaining Power shall bear the expense of returning re- 
leased internees to the places where they were residing when 
interned, or, if it took them into custody while they were in transit 
or on the high seas, the cost of completing their journey or of 
their return to their point of departure. 

Where a Detaining Power refuses permission to reside in its 
territory to a released internee who previously had his permanent 
domicile therein, such Detaining Power shall pay the cost of the 
said internee's repatriation. If, however, the internee elects to re- 
turn to his country on his own responsibility or in obedience to the 



133 



Government of the Power to which he owes allegience, the Detain- 
ing Power need not pay the expenses of his journey beyond the 
point of his departure from its territory. The Detaining Power 
need not pay the costs of repatriation of an internee who was in- 
terned at his own request. 

' If internees are transferred in accordance with Article 45, the 
transferring and receiving Powers shall agree on the portion of 
the above costs, to be borne by each. 

The foregoing shall not prejudice such special agreements as 
may be concluded between Parties to the conflict concerning the 
exchange and repatriation of their nationals in enemy hands. 
(GO, art. 135.) 

Section VI. INFORMATION BUREAUS, CENTRAL AGENCY, AND RELIEF 

SOCIETIES 

343, National Bureaus 

Upon the outbreak of a conflict and in all cases of occupation, 
each of the Parties to the conflict shall establish an official Infor- 
mation Bureau responsible for receiving and transmitting infor- 
mation in respect of the protected persons who are in its power. 

Each of the parties to the conflict shall, within the shortest 
possible period, give its Bureau information of any measure taken 
by it concerning any protected persons who are kept in custody 
for more than two weeks, who are subjected to assigned residence 
or who are interned. It shall, furthermore, require its various 
departments concerned with such matters to provide the afore- 
said Bureau promptly with information concerning all changes 
pertaining to these protected persons, as, for example, transfers, 
releases, repatriations, escapes, admittances to hospitals, births, 
and deaths. (GO, art. 136.) 

344. Transmission of Information 

Each national Bureau shall immediately forward information 
concerning protected persons by the most rapid means to the 
Powers of whom the aforesaid persons are nationals, or to Powers 
in whose territory they resided, through the intermediary of the 
Protecting Powers and likewise through the Central Agency pro- 
vided for in Article 140. The Bureaux shall also reply to all 
enquiries which may be received regarding protected persons. 

Information Bureaux shall transmit information concerning 
a protected person unless its transmission might be detrimental 
to the person concerned or to his or her relatives. Even in such 
a case, the information may not be withheld from the Central 
Agency which, upon being notified of the circumstances, will take 
the necessary precautions indicated in Article 140. 



134 



All communications in writing made by any Bureau shall be 
authenticated by a signature or a seal. (GO t art. 137.) 

345. Particulars Required 

The information received by the national Bureau and trans- 
mitted by it shall be of such a character as to make it possible to 
identify the protected person exactly and to advise his next of 
kin quickly. The information in respect of each person shall in- 
clude at least his surname, first names, place and date of birth, 
nationality, last residence and distinguishing characteristics, the 
first name of the father and the maiden name of the mother, the 
date, place and nature of the action taken with regard to the 
individual, the address at which correspondence may be sent to 
him and the name and address of the person to be informed. 

Likewise, information regarding the state of health of internees 
who are seriously ill or seriously wounded shall be supplied 
regularly and if possible every week. (GG, art. 138.) 

346. Forwarding of Personal Valuables 

Each national Information Bureau shall, furthermore be re- 
sponsible for collecting all personal valuables left by protected 
persons mentioned in Article 136, in particular those who have 
been repatriated or released, or who have escaped or died ; it shall 
forward the said valuables to those concerned, either direct, or, if 
necessary, through the Central Agency. Such articles shall be 
sent by the Bureau in sealed packets which shall be accompanied 
by statements giving clear and full identity particulars of the 
person to whom the articles belonged, and by a complete list of 
the contents of the parcel. Detailed records shall be maintained 
of the receipt and despatch of all such valuables. (GC, art. 139.) 

347. Central Agency 

A Central Information Agency for protected persons, in par- 
ticular for internees, shall be created in a neutral country. The 
International Committee of the Red Cross shall, if it deems neces- 
sary, propose to the Powers concerned the organization of such 
an Agency, which may be the same as that provided for in 
Article 123 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment 
of Prisoners of War of August 12, 1949. 

The function of the Agency shall be to collect all information 
of the type set forth in Article 136 which it may obtain through 
official or private channels and to transmit it as rapidly as pos- 
sible to the countries of origin or of residence of the persons con- 
cerned, except in cases where such transmissions might be detri- 
mental to the persons whom the said information concerns, or to 



135 



their relatives. It shall receive from the Parties to the conflict 
all reasonable facilities for effecting such transmissions. 

The High Contracting Parties, and in particular those whose 
nationals benefit by the services of the Central Agency, are 
requested to give the said Agency the financial aid it may require. 

The foregoing provisions shall in no way be interpreted as 
restricting the humanitarian activities of the International Com- 
mittee of the Red Cross and of the relief societies described in 
Article 142. (GO, art. 140.) 

346. Exemption From Charges 

The national Information Bureau and the Central Informa- 
tion Agency shall enjoy free postage for all mail, likewise the 
exemptions provided for in Article 110, and further, so far as pos- 
sible, exemption from telegraphic charges or, at least, greatly 
reduced rates. (GC,art lil.) 

349. Relief Societies and Other Organizations 

Subject to the measures which the Detaining Powers may con- 
sider essential to ensure their security or to meet any other 
reasonable need, the representatives of religious organizations, 
relief societies, or any other organizations assisting the protected 
persons, shall receive from these Powers, for themselves or their 
duly accredited agents, all facilities for visiting the protected per- 
sons, for distributing relief supplies and material from any 
source, intended for educational, recreational or religious par- 
poses, or for assisting them in organizing their leisure time within 
the places of internment. Such societies or organizations may be 
constituted in .the territory of the Detaining Power, or in any 
other . country, or they may have an international character. 

The Detaining Power may limit the number of societies and 
organizations whose delegates are allowed to carry out their ac- 
tivities in its territory and under its supervision, on condition, 
however, that such limitation shall not hinder the supply of 
effective and adequate relief to all protected persons. 

The special position of the International Committee of the Red 
Cross in this field shall be recognized and respected at all times. 
(GO, art.m.) 

350. Supervision 

Representatives or delegates of the Protecting Powers shall 
have permission to go to all places where protected persons are, 
particularly to places of internment, detention and work. 

They shall have access to all premises occupied by protected 
persons and shall be able to interview the latter without witnesses, 
personally or through an interpreter. 



136 



Such visits may not be prohibited except for reasons of impera- 
tive military necessity, and then only as an exceptional and 
temporary measure. Their duration and frequency shall not be 
restricted. 

Such representatives and delegates shall have full liberty to 
select the places they wish to visit. The Detaining or Occupying 
Power, the Protecting Power and, when occasion arises, the Power 
of origin of the persons to be visited, may agree that compatriots 
of the internees shall be permitted to participate in the visits. 

The delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross 
shall also enjoy the above prerogatives. The appointment of 
such delegates shall be submitted to the approval of the Power 
governing the territories where they will carry out their duties. 
(GO, art. 143.) 



137 



CHAPTER 6 
OCCUPATION 



Section I. GENERAL 

351. Military Occupation 

Territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed 
under the authority of the hostile army. 

The occupation extends only to the territory where such au- 
thority has been established and can be exercised. (HR, art. 48.) 

352. Invasion Distinguished 

a. Nature of Invasion. If resistance is offered, the state of inva- 
sion within any portion of a belligerent's territory corresponds with 
the period of resistance. If the invasion is unresisted, the state 
of invasion lasts only until the invader has taken firm control of the 
area with the intention of holding it. Invasion is not necessarily 
occupation, although occupation is normally preceded by invasion and 
may frequently coincide with it. An invader may attack with naval 
or air forces or its troops may push rapidly through a large portion 
of enemy territory without establishing that effective control which 
is essential to the status of occupation. Small raiding parties or fly- 
ing columns, reconnaissance detachments or patrols moving through 
an area cannot be said to occupy it. Occupation, on the other hand, 
is invasion plus taking firm possession of enemy territory for the 
purpose of holding it. 

b. Application of Laiv of Occupation. The rules set forth in this 
chapter apply of their own force only to belligerently occupied areas, 
but they should, as a matter of policy, be observed as far as possible 
in areas through which troops are passing and even on the battlefield. 

353. Subjugation or Conquest Distinguished 

Belligerent occupation in a foreign war, being based upon the pos- 
session of enemy territory, necessarily implies that the sovereignty 
of the occupied territory is not vested in the occupying power. Occu- 
pation is essentially provisional. 

On the other hand, subjugation or conquest implies a transfer of 
sovereignty, which generally takes the form of annexation and is 
normally effected by a treaty of peace. When sovereignty passes, 
belligerent occupation, as such, of course ceases, although the terri- 
tory may and usually does, for a period at least, continue to be gov- 
erned through military agencies. 



138 



354. Friendly Territory Subject to Civil Affairs Administration Distin- 

guished 

Civil affairs administration is that form of administration estab- 
lished in friendly territory whereby a foreign government pursuant 
to an agreement, expressed or implied, with the government of the area 
concerned, may exercise certain authority normally the function of 
the local government. 

Such administration is often established in areas which are freed 
from enemy occupation. It is normally required when the govern- 
ment of the area concerned is unable or unwilling to assume full 
responsibility for its administration. Territory subject to civil affairs 
administration is not considered to be occupied. 

If circumstances have precluded the conclusion of a civil affairs 
agreement with the lawful government of allied territory recovered 
from enemy occupation or of other territory liberated from the enemy, 
military government may be established in the area as a provisional 
and interim measure (see par. 12b and c). A civil affairs agreement 
should, however, be concluded with the lawful government at the 
earliest possible opportunity. 

355. Occupation as Question of Fact 

Military occupation is a question of fact. It presupposes a hostile 
invasion, resisted or unresisted, as a result of which the invader has 
rendered the invaded government incapable of publicly exercising its 
authority, and that the invader has successfully substituted its own 
authority for that of the legitimate government in the territory 
invaded. 

356. Effectiveness of Occupation 

It follows from the definition that belligerent occupation must be 
both actual and effective, that is, the organized resistance must have 
been overcome and the force in possession must have taken measures 
to establish its authority. It is sufficient that the occupying force 
can, within a reasonable time, send detachments of troops to make its 
authority felt within the occupied district. It is immaterial whether 
the authority of the occupant is maintained by fixed garrisons or fly- 
ing columns, whether by small or large forces, so long as the occupa- 
tion is effective. The number of troops necessary to maintain effective, 
occupation will depend on various considerations such as the dis- 
position of the inhabitants, the number and density of the population, 
the nature of the terrain, and similar factors. The mere existence of 
a fort or defended area within the occupied district, provided the 
fort or defended area is under attack, does not render the occupation 
of the remainder of the district ineffective. Similarly, the mere 
existence of local resistance groups does not render the occupation 
ineffective. 



139 



357. Proclamation of Occupation 

In a strict legal sense no proclamation of military occupation is 
necessary. However, on account of the special relations established 
between the inhabitants of the occupied territory and the occupant by 
virtue of the presence of the occupying forces, the fact of military 
occupation, with the extent of territory affected, should be made 
known. The practice of the United States is to make this fact known 
by proclamation. 

358. Occupation Does Not Transfer Sovereignty 

Being an incident of war, military occupation confers upon the 
invading force the means of exercising control for the period of occu- 
pation. It does not transfer the sovereignty to the occupant, but 
simply the authority or power to exercise some of the rights of sover- 
eignty. The exercise of these rights results from the established power 
of the occupant and from the necessity of maintaining law and order, 
indispensable both to the inhabitants and to the occupying force. 

It is therefore unlawful for a belligerent occupant to annex occupied 
territory or to create a new State therein while hostilities are still in 
progress. (See GC, art. 47; par. 365 herein.) 

359. Oath of Allegiance Forbidden 

It is forbidden to compel the inhabitants of occupied territory 
to swear allegiance to the hostile Power. (HR, art. JS.) 

360. Maintenance of Occupation 

Occupation, to be effective, must be maintained. In case the occu- 
pant evacuates the district or is driven out by the enemy, the occupa- 
tion ceases. It does not cease, however, if the occupant, after estab-; 
lishing its authority, moves forward against the enemy, leaving a 
smaller force to administer the affairs of the district. Nor does the 
existence of a rebellion or the activity of guerrilla or para-military 
units of itself cause the occupation to cease, provided the occupant 
could at any time it desired assume physical control of any part of 
the territory. If, however, the power of. the occupant is effectively 
displaced for any length of time, its position towards the inhabitants 
is the same as before occupation. 

361. Termination of Occupation 

The law of belligerent, occupation generally ceases to be applicable 
uiider the conditions set forth in paragraphs 353 and 360. However, 
with respect to the provisions of GC alone, Article 6 of that Con- 
vention provides : 

In the case of occupied territory, the application of the present 
Convention shall cease one year after the general close of 
military operations; however, the Occupying Power shall be 



140 



bound, for the duration of the occupation, to the extent that such 
Power exercises the functions of government in such territory, 
by the provisions of the following Articles of the present Conven- 
tion; 1 to 12, 27, 29 to 34, 47, 49, 51, 52, 53, 59, 61 to 77, 143. 

Protected . persons whose release, repatriation or re-establish- 
ment may take place after such dates shall meanwhile continue to 
benefit by the present Convention. {GO, art. 6, 3d and 4th pars.) 

Section II. ADMINISTRATION OF OCCUPIED TERRITORY 

362. Necessity for Military Government 

Military government is the form of administration by which an 
occupying power exercises governmental authority over occupied 
territory. The necessity for such government arises from the failure 
or inability of the legitimate government to exercise its functions on 
account of the military occupation, or the un desirability of allowing it 
to do so., (See par. 12, which discusses military government, and 
par. 354, dealing with civil affairs administration.) 

363. Duty to Restore and Maintain Public Order 

The authority of the legitimate power having in fact passed 
into the hands of the occupant, the latter shall take all the meas- 
ures in his power to restore, and ensure, as far as possible, public 
order and safety, while. respecting, unless absolutely prevented, 
the laws in force in the country. {IIR, art. . 

364. Occupation Costs 

The economy of an occupied country can only be required to bear 
the expenses of the occupation, and these should riot be greater than 
the economy of the country can reasonably be expected to bear. 

365. Inviolability of Rights 

Protected persons who are in occupied territory shall not be 
deprived, in any case or in any manner whatsoever, of the bene- 
fits of the present Convention by any change introduced, as the 
result of the occupation of a territory, into the institutions or 
government of the said territory, nor by any agreement concluded 
between the authorities of the occupied territories and the Oc- 
cupying Power, nor by any annexation by the latter of the whole 
or part of the occupied territory. (GC, art. jft.) 

366. Local Governments Under Duress and Puppet Governments 

The restrictions placed upon the authority of a belligerent gov- 
ernment cannot be avoided by a system of using a puppet govern- 
ment, central or local, to carry out acts which would be unlawful if 
performed directly by the occupant. Acts induced or compelled by 
the occupant are nonetheless its acts. 



684524 0-63 — 10 



141 



367. Functions of Government 

a. Paramotmt Authority of Occupant. The functions of the hostile 
government — whether of a general, provincial, or local character — 
continue only to the extent they are sanctioned by the occupant. 

b. Functions of Local Government. The occupant may, while 
retaining its paramount authority, permit the government of the 
country to perform some or all of its normal functions. It may, for 
example, call upon the local authorities to administer designated rear 
areas, subject to the guidance and direction of the occupying power. 
Such action is consistent with the status of occupation, so long as 
there exists the firm possession and the purpose to maintain para- 
mount authority. 

368. Nature of Government 

It is immaterial whether the government over an enemy's territory 
consists in a military or civil or mixed administration. Its character 
is the same and the source of its authority the same. It is a govern- 
ment imposed by force, and the legality of its acts is determined 
by the law of war. 

369. Local Law and New Legislation 

The penal laws of the occupied territory shall remain in force, 
with the exception that they may be repealed or suspended by 
the Occupying Power in cases where they constitute a threat to 
its security or an obstacle to the application of the present Con- 
vention. Subject to the latter consideration and to the necessity 
for ensuring the effective administration of justice, the tribunals 
of the occupied territory shall continue to function in respect 
of all offences covered by the said laws. 

The Occupying Power may, however, subject the population of 
the occupied territory to provisions which are essential to enable 
the Occupying Power to fulfil its obligation under the present 
Convention, to maintain the orderly government of the territory, 
and to ensure the security of the Occupying Power, of the mem- 
bers and property of the occupying forces or administration, and 
likewise of the establishments and lines of communication used 
by them. (GC, art. 

370. Laws tn Force 

In restoring public order and safety, the occupant will continue 
in force the ordinary civil and penal (criminal) laws of the occupied 
territory except to the extent- it may be authorized by Article 64, 
GO (par 369), and Article 43, HR (par. 363), to alter, suspend, or 
repeal such laws (see also HR art. %8 (h) ; par. 372 herein; and GO, 
art. 51; par. 418 herein) . These laws will be administered by the local 
officials as far as practicable. Crimes not of a military nature and not 



142 



affecting the occupant's security are normally left to the jurisdiction 
of the local courts. 

371. Nature of Laws Suspended or Repealed 

The occupant may alter, repeal, or suspend laws of the following 
types: 

a. Legislation constituting a threat to its security, such as laws 
relating to recruitment and the bearing of arms. 

b. Legislation dealing with political process, such as laws regarding 
the rights of suffage and of assembly. 

c. Legislation the enforcement of which would be inconsistent with 
the duties of the occupant, such as laws establishing racial dis- 
crimination. 

372. Prohibition as to Rights and Rights of Action 

It is especially forbidden * * * to declare abolished, suspended, 
or inadmissible in a court of law the rights and actions of the 
nationals of the hostile party. (HR, art. 23, par. (h).) 

373. Suspension of Ordinary Courts 

The ordinary courts of justice should be suspended only if: 

a. Judges and magistrates abstain from fulfilling their functions 
(see GC, art. 54; par. 422 herein) ; or 

b. The courts are corrupt or unfairly constituted ; or 

c. Local judicial administration has collapsed during the hostilities 
preceding the occupation and the occupant must set up its own courts 
to ensure that offenses against the local laws are properly tried. 

In such cases, the occupant may establish courts of its own and 
make this measure known to the inhabitants. 

374. Immunity of Occupation Personnel From Local Law 

. Military and civilian personnel of the occupying forces and occu- 
pation administration and persons accompanying them are not subject 
to the local law or to the jurisdiction of the local courts of the occupied 
territory unless expressly made subject thereto by a competent office! - 
of the occupying forces or occupation administration. The occupant 
should see to it that an appropriate system of snbstautive law applies 
to such persons and that tribunals are in existence to deal with civil 
litigation to which they are parties and with offenses committed by 
them. 

375. Freedom of Movement 

The occupant may withdraw from individuals the right to change 
their residence, restrict freedom of internal movement, forbid visits 
to certain districts, prohibit emigation and immigration (but see 
GC, art. 48; par. 381 herein), and require that all individuals carry 
identification documents. 



143 



376. Commercial Restrictions 

The occupant has the right to regulate commercial intercourse in 
the occupied territory. It may subject such intercourse to such pro- 
hibitions and restrictions as are essential to the purposes of the 
occupation. The commander of the occupying, forces will usually 
find it advisable to forbid intercourse between the occupied territory 
and the territory still in the possession of the enemy. 

377. Censorship 

The belligerent occupant may establish' censorship of the press, 
radio, theater, motion pictures, and television, of correspondence, 
and of all other means of communication. It may prohibit entirely 
the publication of newspapers or prescribe regulations for their pub- 
lication and circulation. The occupant is not required to furnish 
facilities for postal service, but may take charge of them itself, es- 
pecially if the officials of the occupied district fail to act or to obey its 
orders. 

378. Means of Transportation 

The belligerent occupant exercises authority over all means of 
transportation, both public and private, within the occupied district, 
and may seize them and regulate their operation. 

Section III. RIGHTS OF THE POPULATION OF OCCUPIED TERRITORY 

379. Other Provisions of Law 

Articles 27-34, GO (pars. 266-273), apply to occupied territory and 
should be read together with the provisions of this section. 

380. Respect for Human Rights 

Family honour and rights,- the lives of persons, and private 
property, as well as religious convictions and practice, must be 
respected. (BB, art. 1st par.) 

381. Special Cases of Repatriation 

Protected persons who are not nationals of the Power whose 
territory is occupied, may avail themselves of the right to leave 
the territory subject to the provisions of Article 35, and decisions 
thereon shall be taken according to the procedure which the Oc- 
cupying Power shall establish in accordance with the said Article. 
(GC, art. 48.) 

382. Deportations, Transfers, Evacuations 

Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations 
of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of 
the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or 
not, are prohibited, regardless of their motive. 



144 



Nevertheless, the Occupying Power may undertake total or 
partial evacuation of a given area if the security of the population 
or imperative military reasons so demand. Such evacuations 
may not involve the displacement of protected persons outside 
the bounds of the occupied territory except when for material 
reasons it is impossible to avoid such displacement. Persons thus 
evacuated shall be transferred back to their homes as soon as 
hostilities in the area in question have ceased. 

The Occupying Power undertaking such transfers or evacua- 
tions shall ensure, to the greatest practicable extent, that proper 
accommodation is provided to receive the protected persons, that 
the removals are effected in satisfactory conditions of hygiene f 
health, safety and nutrition, and that members of the same family 
are not separated. 

The Protecting Power shall be informed of any transfers and 
evacuations as soon as they have taken place. 

The Occupying Power shall not detain protected persons in an 
area particularly exposed to the dangers of war unless -the se- 
curity of the population or imperative military reasons so demand. 

The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer, parts of its. 
own civilian population into the ., territory, it. occupies. (CfC, 
art. 49.) 

383. Children 

The Occupying Power shall,* with the cooperation of the national 
and local authorities, facilitate the proper working of all institu- 
tions devoted to the care and education of children. 

The Occupying Power shall take all necessary steps to facilitate 
the identification of children and the registration of their parent- 
age. It may not, in any case, change their personal status, nor 
enlist them in formations or organizations subordinate to it. 

Should the local institutions be inadequate for the purpose, the 
Occupying Power shall make arrangements for the maintenance 
and education, if possible by persons of their own nationality, lan* 
guage and religion, of children who are orphaned or separated 
from their parents as a result of the war and who cannot be ade- 
quately cared for by a near relative or friend. 

A special section of the Bureau set up in accordance with Article 
136 shall be responsible for taking all necessary steps to identify 
children whose identity is in doubt. Particulars of their parents 
or other near relatives should always be recorded if available. 

The Occupying Power shall not hinder the application of any 
preferential measures in regard to food, medical care and protec- 
tion against the effects of war, which may have been adopted prior 
to the occupation in favour of children under fifteen years, ex- 



145 



pectant mothers, and mothers of children under seven years. 

{GO, art. 50.) 

384. Food and Medico! Supplies for the Population 

a. Treaty Provision, 

To the fullest extent of the means available to it, the Occupy- 
ing Power has the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies 
of the population ; it should, in particular, bring in the necessary 
foodstuffs, medical stores and other articles if the resources of 
the occupied territory are inadequate. 

* ' * * *_ * * * 

The Protecting Power shall, at any time,, be at liberty to verify 
the state of the food and medical supplies in occupied territories, 
except where temporary restrictions are made necessary by im- 
perative military requirements. (GO, art. 55, 1st and 3d pars.) 

ft. Other Articles To Be Supplied. The other articles which the 
occupant is required to provide under the above provision include all 
urgently required goods which may be essential to the life of the 
territory. 

385. Hygiene and Public Health 

To the fullest extent of the means available to it, the Occupying 
Power has the duty of ensuring and maintaining, with the co- 
operation of national and local authorities, the medical and hos- 
pital, establishments and services, public health and hygiene in 
the occupied .territory, with particular reference to the adoption 
and application of the prophylactic and preventive measures 
necessary to combat the spread of contagious diseases and epi- 
demics. Medical personnel of all categories shall be allowed to 
carry out their duties. 

If new hospitals are set up in occupied territory and if the com- 
petent organs of the occupied State are not operating there, the 
occupying authorities shall, if necessary, grant them the recog- 
nition provided for in Article 18. In similar circumstances, the 
occupying auhorities shall also grant recognition to hospital 
personnel and transport vehicles under the provisions of Articles 
20 and 21. 

. In adopting measures of health and hygiene and in their imple- 
mentation, the Occupying Power shall take into consideration the 
moral and ethical susceptibilities of the population of the occu- 
pied territory. ( GO, art. 56.) 

386. Requisition of Hospitals 

The Occupying Power may requisition civilian hospitals only 
temporarily and only in cases of urgent necessity for the care of 
military wounded and sick, and then on condition that suitable 



146 



arrangements are made in due time for the care and treatment of 
the patients and for the needs of the civilian population for hos- 
pital accommodation. 

The material and stores of civilian hospitals cannot be requis- 
tioned so long as they are necessary for the needs of the civilian 
population. (GO, art. 57.) 

387. Spiritual Assistance 

The Occupying. Power shall permit ministers of religion to 
give spiritual assistance to the members of their religious 
communities. 

The Occupying Power shall also accept consignments of books 
and articles required for religious needs and shall facilitate their 
distribution in occupied territory. (GO, art. 58.) 

Section IV. RELIEF 

388. Collective Relief 

If the whole or part of the population of an occupied territory 
is inadequately supplied, the Occupying Power shall agree to re- 
lief schemes on behalf of the said population, and shall facilitate 
them by all the means at its disposal. 

Such schemes, which may be undertaken either by States or by 
impartial humanitarian organizations such as the International 
Committee of the Red Cross, shall consist, in particular, of the 
provision of consignments of foodstuffs, medical supplies and 
clothing. 

All Contracting Parties shall permit the free passage of these 
consignments and shall guarantee their protection. 

A Power granting free passage to consignments on their way 
to territory occupied by an adverse Party to the conflict shall, 
however, have the right to search the consignments, to regulate 
their passage according to prescribed times and routes, and to be 
reasonably satisfied through the Protecting Power that these con- 
signments are to be used for the relief of the needy population 
and are not to be used for the benefit of the Occupying Power. 
{GO, art. 59.) 

389. Responsibilities of the Occupying Power 

Relief consignments shall in no way relieve the Occupying 
Power of any of . its responsibilities under Articles 55, 56 and 59. 
The Occupying Power shall in no way whatsoever divert relief 
consignments from the purpose for which they are intended, ex- 
cept in cases of urgent necessity, in the interests of the population 
of the occupied territory and with the consent of the Protecting 
Power. (GO, art. 60.) 



147 



390. Distribution 

The distribution of the relief consignments referred to in the 
foregoing Articles shall be carried out with the cooperation and 
under the supervision of the Protecting Power. This duty may 
also be delegated, by agreement between the Occupying Power 
and the Protecting Power, to a neutral Power, to the Interna- 
tional Committee of the Red Cross or to any other impartial 
humanitarian body. 

Such. consignments shall be exempt in occupied territory from 
all charges, taxes or customs duties unless these are necessary in 
the interests of the economy of the territory. The Occupying 
Power shall facilitate the rapid distribution of these consign- 
ments. 

All Contracting Parties shall endeavour to permit the transit 
and transport, free of charge, of such relief consignments on their 
way to occupied territories. (GO, art. 61.) 

391. Individual Relief 

Subject to imperative reasons «f security, protected persons in 
occupied territories shall be permitted to receive the individual 
relief consignments sent to them. art. 62.) 

392. Notional Red Cross and Other Relief Societies 

Subject to temporary and exceptional measures imposed for 
urgent reasons of security by the Occupying Power: . 

(a) recognized National Red Cross (Red Crescent, Red Lion 
and Sun) Societies shall be able to pursue their activities 
in accordance with Red Cross principles, as denned by 
the. International Red Cross Conferences. Other relief 
societies shall be permitted to continue their humani- 
tarian activities under similar conditions; 
(6) the Occupying Power may not require any changes in 
the personnel or structure of these societies, which would 
prejudice the aforesaid activities. 
The same principles shall apply to the activities and personnel 
of special organizations of a non-military character, which al- 
ready exist or which may be established, for the purpose of en- 
suring the living conditions of the civilian population by the 
maintenance of the essential public utility services, by the dis- 
tribution of relief and by the organization of rescues. (GO; 
art. 63.) 

Section V. TREATMENT OF ENEMY PROPERTY 

393., Destruction and Seizure of Property • 

a. Prohibition. 

It is especially forbidden * * * to destroy or seize the enemy's 



148 



property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively 
demanded by the necessities of war. (H 8, art. 23, par. (g).) 

b. Occupying Power. 

Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal 
property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, 
or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or co- 
operative organizations, is prohibited, except where such de- 
struction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations. 
{GO, art. '53.) 

c. General Devastation. See paragraph 56, 

394. Determination Whether Property Is Public or Private 

a. Beneficial Ownership. Under modern conditions^ the distinct 
tion between public and private property is not always easy to draw. 
For the purpose of treatment of property under belligerent occupa- 
tion, it is often necessary to look beyond strict legal title and to as- 
certain the character of the property on the basis of the beneficial 
ownership thereof. Thus, for example, trust fun&fe; pension funds, 
and bank deposits generated by private persons sire not to be regarded 
as public property simply by reason of their being held by a State- 
Owned bank. 

b. Property of Mixed Oi&nership. For the purpose of determining 
what type of control the occupant may exercise over property (by way 
of confiscation, seizure, requisition^ etc.), the most cogent .evidence of 
public character is such a complete or partial assumption by the State 
oi the economic risk involved in the holding and management of the 
property in question that the State, rather than private individuals 
or corporation, would be subjected to a substantial portion of the loss 
were the property to be appropriated for the use of- the occupant: 
Should property which is ostensibly private be subjected to a large 
measure of governmental control and. management or perform, func- 
tions which are essentially public, these facts would tend to indicate 
tliat the property should be regarded in practice as public. 

If property which is appropriated by the occupant is beneficially 
owned in part by the State and in part by private interests, the occu- 
pation authorities should compensate the private owners to the extent 
of their interest. Such compensation should bear the same relation^ 
ship to the full compensation which would be paid if the property 
were entirely privately owned as their interest bears to the total value 
of the property concerned. The occupant may take what measures it 
deems necessary to assure that no portion of the compensation paid 
on account of private interests accrues to the State. 

c. Property of Unknown Ownership. If it is unknown whether 
certain property, is public or private, it should be treated as public 
property until its ownership is ascertained. 



149 



395. Seized Property 

Valid capture or seizure of property requires both an intent to take 
such action and a physical act of capture or seizure. The mere 
presence within occupied territory of property which is subject to 
appropriation under international law does not operate to vest title 
thereto in the occupant. 

396. Title to Captured or Seized Enemy Property 

Public property captured or seized from the enemy, as well as 
private property validly captured on the battlefield and abandoned 
property, is property of the United States (see U. S. Const., Art. I, 
sec. 8, cl. 11), and failure to turn over such property to the proper 
authorities or disposal thereof for personal profit is a violation of 
Article 103 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. 

397. Pillage 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Pillage is formally forbidden. (BR, art.. 47.) (See also BR, 
art. 28; par. 47 herein; GO, art. 33; par. 272 herein.) 

b. Violation of military law. A member of the armed forces who 
before or in the presence of the enemy quits his place of duty to 
plunder or pillage is guilty of the offense of misbehavior before the 
enemy. {UCMJ, Art. 99 (6).) 

396. Private Gain by Officers and Soldier* 

Neither officers nor soldiers of the United States are allowed to 
make use of their position or power in the hostile country for private 
gain, not even for commercial transactions otherwise legitimate. 

399. Property Control 

Property within occupied territory may be controlled by the occu- 
pant to the degree necessary to prevent its use by or for the benefit 
of the hostile forces or in a manner harmful to the occupant. < Con- 
servators may be appointed to manage the property of absent persons 
(including nationals of the United States and of friendly States) and 
of internees, property managed by such persons, and property of 
persons whose activities are deemed to be prejudicial to the occupant. 
However, when the owners or managers of such property are again 
able to resume control of their property and the risk of its hostile use 
no longer exists, it must be returned to them. 

Measures of property control must not extend to confiscation. How- 
ever, the authority of the occupant to impose such controls does not 
limit its power to seize or requisition property or take such other 
action with respect to it as may be authorized by other provisions of 
law. 



150 



400. Real Property of a State 

The occupying State shall be regarded only as administrator 
and usufructuary of public buildings, real estate, forests, and 
agricultural estates belonging to the hostile State, and situated in 
the occupied country. It must safeguard the capital of these 
properties, and administer them in accordance with the rules of 
usufruct. {BR, art. 55.) 

401 . State Real Property Susceptible of Direct Military Use 

Real property of a State which is of direct military use, such as 
forts, arsenals, dockyards, magazines, barracks, railways, bridges, 
piers, wharves, airfields, and other military facilities, remains in the 
hands of the occupant until the close of the war, and may be destroyed 
or damaged, if deemed necessary to military operations. 

402. Occupant's Disposition of Real Property of a State 

Real property of the enemy State which is essentially of a non- 
military nature, such as public buildings and offices, land, forests, 
parks, farms, and mines, may not be damaged or destroyed unless such 
destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations 
(see Art. 53, OC; par. 393 herein). The occupant does not have the 
right of sale or unqualified use of such property. As administrator 
or usufructuary he should not exercise his rights in such a wasteful 
and negligent manner as seriously to impair its value. He may, how- 
ever, lease or utilize public lands or buildings, sell the crops, cut and 
sell timber, and work the mines. The term of a lease or contract should 
not extend beyond the conclusion of the war. 

403. Movable Property of a State 

An army of occupation can only take possession of cash, funds, 
and realizable securities which are strictly the property of the 
State, depots of arms, means of transport, stores and supplies, 
and, generally, all movable property belonging to the State which 
may be used for operations of the war. 

All appliances, whether on land, at sea, or in the air, adapted 
for the transmission of news, or for the transport of persons or 
things, exclusive of cases governed by naval laws, depfits of arms, 
and, generally, all kinds of ammunition of war, may be seized, 
even if they belong to private individuals, but must be restored 
and compensation fixed when peace is made. {BR, art. 53.) 

404. Classes of Movable Property 

AH movable property belonging to the State susceptible of military 
use may be taken possession of and utilized for the benefit of the occu- 
pant's government. Under modern conditions of warfare, a large 
proportion of State property may be regarded as capable of being used 



151 



for military purposes. However, movable property which is not sus- 
ceptible of military use must be respected and cannot be appropriated. 

405. Municipal, Religious, Charitable, and Cultural Property 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The property of municipalities, that of institutions dedicated 
to religion, charity and education, the arts and sciences, even when 
State property, shall be treated as private property. 

AH seizure or destruction of, or wilful damage to, institutions 
of this character, historic monuments, works of art and science, is 
forbidden, and should be made the subject of legal proceedings. 
(HR,art.56.) . 

b. Use of Such Premises. The property included in the foregoing 
rule may be requisitioned in case of necessity for quartering the troops 
and the sick and wounded, storage of supplies and material, housing 
of vehicles and equipment, and generally as prescribed for private 
property. Such property must, however, be secured against all avoid- 
able injury, even when located in fortified places which are subject 
to seizure or bombardment. 

o. Religious Buildings, Shrines, and Consecrated Places. In the 
practice of the United States, religious buildings, shrines, and conse- 
crated places employed for worship are used only for aid stations, 
medical installations, or for the housing of wounded personnel await- 
ing evacuation, provided in each case that a situation of emergency 
requires such use. 

406. Private Property: General 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Private property cannot be confiscated. {BR, art. 46, 2d par,) 

b, Prohibited Acts. The foregoing prohibition extends not only to 
outright taking in violation of the law of war but also to any acts 
which, through the use of threats, intimidation, or pressure or by act- 
ual exploitation of the power of the occupant, permanently or tem- 
porarily deprive the owner of the use of his property without his 
consent or without authority under international law. 

407. Private Real Property 

Immovable private enemy property may under no circumstances be 
seized. It may, however, be requisitioned (see par. 412). 

408. Private Movable Property Susceptible of Direct Military Use 

See Article 53, HR (par. 403) . 

409. Receipts 

If private property is seized in conformity with the preceding para- 
graph, a receipt therefor should be given the owner or a record made 
of the nature and quantity of the property and the name of the owner 



152 



or person in possession in order that restoration and compensation 
may be made at the conclusion of the war. 

410. Types of Private Property Susceptible to Direct Military Use 

a. Seizure. The rule stated in the foregoing paragraph, includes 
everything susceptible of direct military use, such as cables, telephone 
and telegraph plants, radio, television, and telecommunications equip- 
ment, motor vehicles, railways, railway plants, port facilities, ships 
in port, barges and other watercraft, airfields, aircraft, depots of 
arms, whether military or sporting, documents connected with the 
war, all varieties of military equipment, including that in the hands 
of manufacturers, component parts of or material suitable only for 
use in the foregoing, and in general all kinds of war material. 

b. Destruction. The destruction of the foregoing property and all 
damage to the same is justifiable only if it is rendered absolutely nec- 
essary by military operations. (See GO, art. 53; par. 393& herein,) 

41 T. Submarine Cables 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Submarine cables connecting an occupied territory with a neu- 
tral territory shall not be seized or destroyed except in the case 
of absolute necessity. They must likewise be restored and com- 
pensation fixed when peace is made. (HI?, art. 54.) 

6. Application. The foregoing provision applies only to activities 
on land and does hot deal with seizure or destruction of cables in the 
open sea. 

412. Requisitions 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Requisitions in kind and services shall not be demanded from 
municipalities or inhabitants except for the needs of the army of 
occupation. They shall be in proportion to the resources of the 
country, and of sueh a nature as not to involve the population in 
the obligation of taking part in operations of the war against 
their country. 

Such requisitions and services shall only be demanded on the 
authority of the commander in the locality occupied. 

Contributions in kind shall, as far as possible, be paid for in 
cash; if not, a receipt shall be given and the payment of the 
amount due shall be made as soon as possible. (HR, art. 58'.) 

o. What May Be Requisitioned. Practically everything may be 
requisitioned under this article that is necessary for the maintenance 
of the army, such as fuel, food, clothing, building materials, ma- 
chinery, tools, vehicles, furnishings for quarters, etc. Billeting of 
troops in occupied areas is also authorized. 



153 



413. Requisitioning of Foodstuffs and Medical Supplies 

The Occupying Power may not requisition foodstuffs, articles 
or medical supplies available in the occupied territory, except for 
use by the occupation forces and administration personnel, and 
then only if the requirements of the civilian population have 
been taken into account. Subject to the provisions of other in- 
ternational Conventions, the Occupying Power shall make ar- 
rangements to ensure that fair value is paid for any requisitioned 
goods. (GO, art. 55, 2d far.) 

414. Requisition of Hospitals 

See Article 57, GO (par. 386). 

415. Method of Requisitioning 

Requisitions must be made under the authority of the commander 
in the locality. No prescribed method is fixed, but if practicable re- 
quisitions should be accomplished through the local authorities by 
systematic collection in bulk. They may be made direct by detach- 
ments if local authorities fail or if circumstances preclude resort to 
such authorities. 

416. Prices and Compensation for Requisitioned Articles and Services 

The prices of articles and services requisitioned will be fixed by 
agreement if possible, otherwise by military authority. Eeceipts 
should be taken up and compensation paid promptly. 

417. Method of Enforcing Requisition 

Coercive measures will be limited to the amount and kind necessary 
to secure the articles requisitioned. 

Section VI. SERVICES OF INHABITANTS AND OF OFFICIALS 

418. Labor of Protected Persons 

The Occupying Power may not compel protected persons to 
serve in its armed or auxiliary forces. No pressure or propa- 
ganda which aims at securing voluntary enlistment is permitted. 

The Occupying Power may not compel protected persons to 
work unless they, are over eighteen years of age, and then only 
oh work which is necessary either for the needs of the army of 
occupation,, or for the public utility services, or for the feeding, 
sheltering, clothing, transportation or health of the population 
of the occupied country. Protected persons may not be compelled 
to undertake any work which would involve them in the obliga- 
tion of -taking part in military operations. The Occupying Power 
may not compel protected persons to employ forcible means to 
ensure the security of the installations where they are perform- 
ing compulsory labour. 



154 



The work shall be carried out only in the occupied territory 
where the persons whose services have been requisitioned are. 
Every such person shall, so far as possible, be kept in his usual 
place of employment. Workers shall be paid a fair wage and the 
work shall be proportionate to their physical and intellectual 
capacities. The legislation in force in the occupied country con- 
cerning working conditions, and safeguards as regards, in par- 
ticular^ such matters as wages, hours of work, equipment, prelimi- 
nary training and compensation for occupational accidents and 
diseases, shall be applicable to the protected persons assigned 
to the work referred to in this Article. 

In no case shall requisition of labour lead to a mobilization of 
workers in an organization of a military or semi-military 
character. {00, art. 61.) (See also HR, art. £3, 2d par,; par, 32 
herein.) 

419. Services Which May be Requisitioned 

The services which may be obtained from inhabitants by requisition 
include those of professional men, such as engineers, physicians and 
nurses and of artisans and laborers, such as clerks, carpenters, butch- 
ers, bakers, and truck drivers. The officials and employees of rail- 
ways, truclilines, airlines, canals, river or coastwise steamship com- 
panies, telegraph, telephone, radio, postal and similar services, gas, 
electric, and water works, and sanitary authorities, whether employed 
by the State or private companies, may be requisitioned to perform 
their professional duties only so long as the duties required do not 
directly concern the operations of war against their own country. 
The occupant may also requisition labor to restore the general condi- 
tion of the public works to that of peace, including the repair of 
roads, bridges, and railways, and to perform services on behalf of the 
local population, such as the care of the wounded and sick and the 
burial of the dead. 

420. Prohibited Labor 

The prohibition against forcing the inhabitants to take part in mili- 
tary operations against their own country precludes requisitioning 
their services upon works directly promoting the ends of the war, 
such as construction of fortifications, entrenchments, and military air- 
fields or the transportation of supplies or ammunition in the zone of 
operations. There is no objection in law to their being employed vol- 
untarily and for pay in such work. 

421 . Protection of Workers 

No contract, agreement or regulation shall impair the right of 
any worker, whether voluntary or not and wherever he may be, 



155 



to apply to the representatives of the Protecting Power in order 
to request the said Power's intervention. 

All measures aiming at creating unemployment or at restrict- 
ing the opportunities offered to workers in an occupied territory; 
in order to induce them to work for the Occupying Power, are 
prohibited. (GO, art. 62.) 

422. Judges and Public Official* 

The Occupying Power may not alter the status of public offi- 
cials or judges in the occupied territories, or in any way apply 
sanctions to or take any measures of coercion or discrimination 
against them, should they abstain front fulfilling their functions 
for reasons of conscience. 

This prohibition does not prejudice the application of the second 
paragraph of Article 51. It does not affect the right of the Oc- 
cupying Power to remove public officials from their posts. (GO, 
art. 6$..) 

423. Oath of Officials 

The occupant may require such officials as are continued in their 
offices to take an oath to perform their duties conscientiously and not 
to act to its prejudice. Every such official who declines to take such, 
oath may be removed; but, whether he does so or not, he owes strict 
obedience to the occupant as long as he remains in office, 

424. Salaries of Officials 

The salaries of civil officials of the hostile government who remain 
in the occupied territory and continue the work of their offices, es- 
pecially those who can properly continue it under the circumstances 
arising out of the war — such as judges, administrative or police officers, 
officers of city or communal governments — are paid from the public 
revenues of the occupied territory, until the military government 
has reason wholly or partially to dispense with their services. Salaries 
or incomes connected with purely honorary titles are always suspended- 
Section VII. PUBLIC FINANCE 

425. Taxes 

a. Treaty Provision. 

If, in the territory occupied, the occupant collects the taxes, 
dues, and tolls imposed for the benefit of the State, he shall do 
so, as far as is possible, in accordance with the rules of assessment 
and incidence in force, and shall in consequence be bound to defray 
the expenses of the administration of the occupied territory to 
the same extent as the legitimate Government was so bound. 
(BR, art. 48.) 



156 



b. Surplus. The first charge upon such taxes is for the cost of the 
administration of the occupied territory. The balance may be used 
for the purposes of the occupant. 

426. Changes in Taxes 

a. When Existing Rules May Be Disregarded. If, due to the flight 
or unwillingness of the local officials, it is impracticable to follow the 
rules of incidence and assessment in force, then the total amount of 
taxes to be paid may be allotted among the districts, towns, etc, and 
the local authorities required to collect it. 

b. New Taxes. Unless required to do so by considerations of public 
order and safety, the occupant must not create new taxes. 

427. Taxes Collected by Local Authorities 

The words "for the benefit of the State" were inserted in the fore- 
going article (HR, art. 48; par. 425 herein) to exclude local taxes, 
dues, and tolls collected by local authorities. The occupant may super- 
vise the expenditure of such revenue and prevent its hostile use. 

428. Contributions 

a. Treaty Provision. 

If, in addition to the taxes mentioned in the above Article, the 
occupant levies other money contributions in the occupied terri- 
tory, this shall only be for the needs of the army or of the admin- 
istration of the territory in question. (HR, art. 49.) 

b. Prohibited Purposes. Contributions may not be levied for the 
enrichment of the occupant, for the payment of war expenses gen- 
erally, or for other than the needs of the occupying forces and the 
administration of the occupied territory. 

429. Methods of Levying Contributions 

No contribution shall be collected except under a written order, 
and on the responsibility of a Commander-in-chief. 

The collection of the said contribution shall only be effected as 
far as possible in accordance with the rules of assessment and in- 
cidence of the taxes in force. 

For every contribution a receipt shall be given to the contrib- 
utors. {BR, art. 51.) 

430. Currency and Exchange Controls 

The occupying power may leave the local currency of the occupied 
area in circulation. It is also authorized to introduce its own currency 
or to issue special currency for use only in the occupied area, should 
the introduction or issuance of such currency become necessary. The 
occupant may also institute exchange controls, including clearing 
arrangements, in order to conserve the monetary assets of the occu- 
pied territory. Such measures must not, however, be utilized to en- 

157 

684524 0-63— II 



rich the. occupant or: otherwise circumvent the restrictions placed on 
requisitions, contributions, seizures, and other measures dealing with 
property. Intentional debasement of currency by the establishment 
of fictitious valuation or exchange rates, or like devices, as well as 
failure to take reasonable steps to prevent inflation, are violative of 
international law. 

431. Expropriation of Property for Local Benefit 

In order to ensure public order and safety, as required by Article 
43, BR, (par. 363) an occupant is authorized to expropriate either 
public or private property solely for the benefit of the local popu- 
lation. The occupant is obliged, unless absolutely prevented, to 
respect the laws in force in the occupied area in so doing. 

Section VIII. SECURITY OF THE OCCUPANT: PENAL LEGISLATION AND 

PROCEDURE 

432. Enforcement of Obedience 

Subject to the restrictions imposed by international law, the occu- 
pant can demand and enforce from the inhabitants of occupied terri- 
tory such obedience as may be necessary for the security of its forces, 
for the maintenance of law and order, and for the proper administra- 
tion of the country. It is the duty of the inhabitants to carry on their 
ordinary peaceful pursuits, to behave in an absolutely peaceful 
manner, to take no part whatever in the hostilities carried on, to re- 
frain from all injurious acts toward the troops or in respect to their 
operations, and to render strict obedience to the orders of the occu- 
pant. As to neutrals resident in occupied territory, see paragraphs 
647-551. 

433. Security Measures 

a. Treaty Provision. 

If the Occupying: Power considers it necessary, for imperative 
reasons of security, to take safety measures concerning: protected 
persons, it may, at the most, subject them to assigned residence 
or to internment. 

Decisions regarding such assigned residence or internment 
shall be made according to a regular procedure to be prescribed 
by the Occupying Power in accordance with the provisions of the 
present Convention. This procedure shall include the right of 
appeal for the parties concerned. Appeals shall be decided with 
the least possible delay. In the event of the decision being upheld, 
It shall be subject to periodical review, if possible every six months, 
by a competent body set up by the said Power. 



158 



Protected persons made subject to assigned residence and thus 
required to leave their homes shall enjoy the full benefit of Article 
39 of the present Convention. (GO, art. 78.) 

b. Function of Competent Body. "Competent bodies" to review 
the internment or assigned residence of protected persons may be 
created with advisory functions only, leaving the final decision to a 
high official of the Government. 

434. Pencil Legislation 

See paragraphs 369-371, regarding penal legislation which may be 
repealed or suspended and legislation which may be promulgated by 
the occupant. 

435. Publication 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The penal provisions enacted by the Occupying Power shall not 
come into force before they have' been published and brought te 
the knowledge of the inhabitants in their own language. The 
effect of these penal provisions shall not be retroactive. (GO, 
art. 65). 

b. Form of Publication. The penal provisions referred to in the 
foregoing article must be promulgated in written form. It is not 
sufficient that they be announced by radio or loudspeakers. 

436: Competent Courts 

In case of a breach of the penal provisions promulgated by it 
by virtue of the second paragraph of Article 64, the Occupying 
Power may hand over the accused to its properly constituted, non- 
political military courts, on condition that the said courts sit in 
the occupied country. Courts of appeal shall preferably sit in 
the occupied country. (GO, art. 66.) 

437. Applicable Law 

The courts shall apply only those provisions of law which were 
applicable prior to the offence,, and which are in accordance with 
general principles of law, in . particular the principle that the 
penalty shall be proportionate to the offence.. They shall take 
into consideration the fact that the accused is not a national 
of the Occupying Power. (GO, art. 67.) 

438. Penalties 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Protected persons who commit an offence which is solely in- 
tended to harm the Occupying Power, but which does not con- 
stitute an attempt on the life or limb of members of the occupying 



159 



forces or administration, nor a grave collective danger, nor 
seriously damage the property of the occupying forces or ad- 
ministration or the installations used by them, shall be liable to 
internment or simple imprisonment, provided the duration of 
such internment or imprisonment is proportionate to the offence 
committed. Furthermore, internment or imprisonment shall, for 
such offences, be the only measure adopted for depriving pro- 
tected persons of liberty. The courts provided for under Article 
66 of the. present Convention may at their discretion convert a 
sentence of imprisonment to one of internment for the same 
period. 

The penal provisions promulgated by the Occupying Power in 
accordance with Articles 64 and 65 may impose the death penalty 
on a protected person only in cases where the person is guilty of 
espionage, or serious acts of sabotage against the military in- 
stallations of the Occupying Power or of intentional offences 
which have caused the death of one or more persons, provided that 
such offences were punishable by death under the law of the 
occupied territory in force before the occupation began. 

The death penalty may not be pronounced against a protected 
person unless the attention of the court has been particularly 
called to the fact that since the accused is not a national of the 
Occupying Power, he is not bound to it by any duty of allegiance. 

In any case, the death penalty may not be pronounced against 
a protected person who was under eighteen years of age at the 
time of the offence. (GO, art. 68.) 

b. Reservation as to Death Penalty, The United States has re- 
served the right to impose the death penalty in accordance with the 
provisions of Article 68, 2d paragraph, without regard to whether 
the offenses referred to therein are punishable by death under the 
law of the occupied territory at the time the occupation begins, 

<?. Other Offenses and Penalties. The foregoing article does not 
preclude the imposition of penalties, such as fines, not depriving the 
protected person of liberty. Acts in violation of the laws promulgated 
by the Occupying Power which are not solely intended to harm that 
Power, as, for example, traveling without a permit or violating ex- 
change control regulations, are also punishable by internment or im- 
prisonment or other penalties depriving the protected person of 
libertj, 

439. Deduction From Sentences of Period Spent Under Arrest 

In all cases, the duration of the period during which a pro- 
tected person accused of an offence is under arrest awaiting trial 
or punishment shall be deducted from any period of imprisonment 
awarded. (GO, art. 69.) 



160 



440. Offenses Committed Before Occupation 

Protected persons shall not be arrested, prosecuted or convicted 
by the Occupying Power for acts committed or for opinions ex- 
pressed before the occupation, or during a temporary interruption 
thereof, with the exception of breaches of the laws and customs 
of war. 

Nationals of the occupying Power who, before the outbreak of 
hostilities, have sought refuge in the territory of the occupied 
State, shall not be arrested, prosecuted, convicted or deported 
from the occupied territory, except for offences committed after 
the outbreak of hostilities, or for offences under common law 
committed before the outbreak of hostilities which, according to 
the law of the occupied State, would have justified extradition in 
time of peace. {GO, art. 70.) 

441. Penal Procedure 

No sentence shall be pronounced by the competent courts of the 
Occupying Power except after a regular trial. 

Accused persons who are prosecuted by the Occupying Power 
shall be promptly informed, in writing, in a language which they 
understand, of the particulars of the charges preferred against 
them, and shall be brought to trial as rapidly as possible. The 
Protecting Power shall be informed of all proceedings instituted 
by the Occupying Power against protected persons in respect of 
charges involving the death penalty or imprisonment for two 
years or more; it shall be enabled, at any time, to obtain infor- 
mation regarding the state of such proceedings. Furthermore, 
the Protecting Power shall be entitled, on request, to be furnished 
with all particulars of these and of any other proceedings insti- 
tuted by the Occupying Power against protected persons. 

The notification to the Protecting Power, as provided for in the 
second paragraph above, shall be sent immediately, and shall in 
any case reach the Protecting Power three weeks before the date 
of the first hearing. Unless, at the opening of the trial, evidence 
is submitted that the provisions of this Article are fully complied 
with, the trial shall not proceed. The notification shall include 
the following particulars: 

(a) description of the accused; 
(6) place of residence or detention; 

(c) specification of the charge or charges (with mention of 
the penal provisions under which it is brought) ; 

(d) designation of the court which will hear the case; 

(e) place and date of the first hearing. {GO, art. 71.) 



161 



442. Right of Defense 

Accused persons shall have the right to present evidence neces- 
sary to their defence and may, in particular, call witnesses. They 
shall have the right to be assisted by a qualified advocate or 
counsel of their own choice, who shall be able to visit them freely 
and shall enjoy the necessary facilities for preparing the defence. 

Failing a choice by the accused, the Protecting Power may pro- 
vide him with an advocate or counsel. When an accused person 
has to meet a serious charge and the Protecting Power is not func- 
tioning, the Occupying Power, subject to the consent of the ac- 
cused, shall provide an advocate or counsel. 

Accused persons shall, unless they freely waive such assistance, 
be aided by an interpreter, both during preliminary investigation 
and during the hearing in court. They shall have the right at 
any time to object to the interpreter and to ask for his replace- 
ment. {GO, art. 7p.) 

443. Right of Appeal 

A convicted person shall have the right of appeal provided for 
by the laws applied by the court. He shall be fully informed of 
his right to appeal or petition and of the time limit within which 
he may do so. 

The penal procedure provided in the present Section shall apply, 
as far as it is applicable, to appeals. Where the laws applied by 
the Court make no provision for appeals, the convicted person 
shall have the right to petition against the finding and sentence 
to the competent authority of the Occupying Power. (GO, art. 
73.) 

444. Assistance by the Protecting Power 

Representatives of the Protecting Power shall have the right 
to attend the trial of any protected person, unless the hearing 
has, as an exceptional measure, to be held in camera in the in- 
terests of the security of the Occupying Power, which shall then 
notify the Protecting Power. A notification in respect of the date 
and place of trial shall be sent to the Protecting Power. 

Any judgment involving a sentence of death, or imprisonment 
for two years or more, shall be communicated, with the relevent 
grounds, as rapidly as possible to the Protecting Power. The 
notification shall contain a reference to the notification made 
under Article 71, and, in the case of sentences of imprisonment, 
the name of the place where the sentence is to be served. A record 
of judgments other than those referred to above shall be kept 
by the court and shall be open to inspection by representatives 
of the Protecting Power. Any period allowed for appeal in the 
case of sentences involving the death penalty, or imprisonment 



162 



of two years or more, shall not run until notification of judgment 
has been received by the Protecting Power. (GO^ art. 7^.) 

445. Death Sentence 

In no case shall persons condemned to death be deprived of the 
right of petition for pardon or reprieve. 

No death sentence shall be carried out before the expiration of 
a period of at least six months from the date of receipt by the 
Protecting Power of the notification of the final judgment con- 
firming such death sentence, or of an order denying pardon or 
reprieve. 

The six months period of suspension of the death sentence 
herein prescribed may be reduced in individual cases in circum- 
stances of grave emergency involving an organized threat to the 
security of the Occupying Power or its forces, provided always 
that the Protecting Power is notified of such reduction and is 
given reasonable time and opportunity to make representations 
to the competent occupying authorities in respect of such death 
sentences. (GO, art. 75.) 

446. Treatment of Detainees 

Protected persons accused of offences shall be detained in the 
occupied country, and if convicted they shall serve their sentences 
therein. They shall, if possible, be separated from other detainees 
and shall enjoy conditions of fqod and hygiene which will be suf- 
ficient to keep them in good health, and which will be at least 
equal to those obtaining in prisons in the occupied country. 

They shall receive the medical attention required by their state 
of health. 

They shall also have the right to receive any spiritual assistance 
which they may require. 

Women shall be confined in separate quarters and shall be 
under the direct supervision of women. 

Proper regard shall be paid to the special treatment due to 
minors. 

Protected persons who are detained shall have the right to 
be visited by delegates of the Protecting Power and of the In- 
ternational Committee of the Red Cross, in accordance with the 
provisions of Article 143. 

Such persons shall have the right to receive at least one relief 
parcel monthly. (GO, art. 76.) 

447. Close of Occupation 

Protected persons who have been accused of offences or con- 
victed by the courts in occupied territory, shall be handed over 



163 



at the close of occupation, with the relevant records, to the au- 
thorities of the liberated territory. (00, art. 77.) 

448. Penalty for Individual Acts of Inhabitants 

No general penalty, pecuniary or otherwise, shall be inflicted 
upon the population on account of the acts of individuals for 
which they cannot be regarded as jointly and severally respon- 
sible. (SB, art. SO.) (See also GO, art. S3; par. 272 herein.) 



164 



CHAPTER 7 
NONHOSTILE RELATIONS OF BELLIGERENTS 



Section I. GENERAL 

449. Nonintercourse 

All intercourse between the territories occupied by belligerent 
armies, whether by traffic, communication, travel, or in any other way, 
ceases. This is the general rule to be observed without special 
proclamation. 

450. Exceptions to Rule 

Exceptions to this rule, whether by safe-conduct, license to trade, 
exchange of mails, or travel from one territory into the other, are made 
on behalf of individuals only with the approval of the Government 
or the highest military authority, 

451 . Forms of Nonhostile Relations of Belligerents 

The conduct of war and the restoration of peace require certain 
nonhostile relations between belligerents. These relations are con- 
ducted through parlementaires, military passports, safe-conducts, 
safeguards, cartels, capitulations, and armistices. 

452. Communication Between Belligerent States and Armies 

One belligerent may communicate with another directly by radio, 
through parlementaires, or in a conference, and indirectly through 
a Protecting Power, a third State other than a Protecting Power, or 
the International Committee of the Red Cross. 

453. Good Faith Essential 

It is absolutely essential in all nonhostile relations that the most 
scrupulous good faith shall be observed by both parties, and that no 
advantage not intended to be given by the adversary shall be taken. 

Section II. MILITARY PASSPORTS, SAFE-CONDUCTS 
AND SAFEGUARDS 

454. General 

Persons within an area occupied by a belligerent may be protected 
from molestation or interference through military passports, safe- 
conducts, and safeguards. These devices are a matter of international 
law only when granted or posted by arrangement with the enemy. 



165 



455. Military Passport 

A military passport is a document issued by order of a commander 
of belligerent forces, authorizing a person or persons named therein, 
redding or sojourning within territory occupied by such forces, to 
travel unmolested within such territory, with or without permission 
to pass, or to pass and return, by designated routes, through the lines, 
subject to such further conditions and limitations as the commander 
may prescribe. 

456. Safe-Conduct 

a. General. Documents like passports, issued by the same author- 
ity and for similar purposes, to persons residing or sojourning outside 
of the occupied areas, who desire to enter and remain within or pass 
through such areas, are called safe-conducts. Similar documents, 
issued by the same authority, to persons residing within or without the 
occupied areas, to permit them to carry specified goods to or from 
designated places within those areas, and to engage in trade otherwise 
forbidden by the general rule of nonintercourse, are also called safe- 
conducts. Safe-conducts for goods in which, the grantee is given a 
continuing right for a prescribed period, or until further orders, to 
engage in the specified trade, are sometimes called licenses to trade. 

o. Safe-Conducts for Ambassadors and Diplomatic Agents. Am- 
bassadors and other diplomatic agents of neutral powers, accredited 
to the enemy, may receive safe-conducts through the territories 
occupied by the belligerents, unless there are military reasons to the 
contrary and unless they may reach the place of their destination con- 
veniently by another route. There is, however, no legal requirement 
that such safe-conducts be issued. Safe-conducts of this nature are 
usually given by the supreme authority of the State and not by 
subordinate officers. 

457. Safeguard 

A safeguard is a detachment, guard, or detail posted by a comman- 
der for the protection of persons, places, or property of the enemy, 
or of a neutral. The term also includes a written order left by a com- 
mander with an enemy subject or posted upon enemy property for the 
protection of the individual or property concerned. It is usually di- 
rected to the succeeding commander and requests the grant of pro- 
tection. The effect of a safeguard is to pledge the honor of the na- 
tion that the person or property shall be respected by the national 
armed forces. The violation of a safeguard is a grave violation of the 
law of war and, if committed by a person subject to the Uniform Code 
of Military Justice, is punishable under Article 102 thereof with 
death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct. 



166 



Soldiers on duty as safeguards occupy a protected status. They 
may not be attacked, and it is customary to send them back, together 
with their equipment and arms, to their own army when the locality 
is occupied by the enemy and as soon as military exigencies permit. 

Section III. PARLEMENT AIRES 

45S. Negotiations Between Belligerents 

In the past, the normal means of initiating negotiations between 
belligerents has been the display of a white flag. In current practice, 
radio messages to the enemy and messages dropped by aircraft are 
becoming increasingly important as a prelude to conversations be- 
tween representatives of the belligerent forces. 

The white flag, when used by troops, indicates a desire to commu- 
nicate with the enemy. The hoisting of a white flag has no other 
signification in international law. It. may indicate that the party 
hoisting it desires to open communication with a view to an armistice 
or a surrender. If hoisted in action by an individual soldier or. a 
small party, it may signify merely the surrender of that soldier or 
party. It is essential, therefore, to determine with reasonable cer- 
tainty that the flag is shown by actual authority of the enemy com- 
mander before basing important action upon that assumption. 

The enemy is not required to cease firing when a white flag is raised. 
To indicate that the hoisting is authorized by its commander, the 
appearance of the flag should be accompanied or followed promptly 
by a complete cessation of fire from that side. The commander au- 
thorizing the hoisting of the flag should also promptly send a parle- 
mentaire or parlementaires. 

459. Parlementaires 

Parlementaires are agents employed by commanders of belligerent 
forces in the field, to go in person within the enemy lines, for the pur- 
pose of communicating or negotiating openly and directly with the 
enemy commander, 

460. Inviolability of Parlementaire 

A person is regarded as a parlementaire who has been au- 
thorized by one of the belligerents to enter into communication 
with the other, and who advances bearing a white flag. He has a 
right to inviolability, as well as the trumpeter, bugler or drum- 
mer, the flag -bearer and the interpreter who may accompany him, 
{HR,art.3&.) 

461 . Fire Not To Be Directed on the Parlementaire 

Fire should not be intentionally directed on parlementaires or those 
accompanying them. If, however, the parlementaires or those near 
them present themselves during an engagement and are killed or 
wounded, it furnishes no ground for complaint. It is the duty of the 



167 



parlementaire to select a propitious moment for displaying his flag, 
such as during the intervals of active operations, and to avoid danger- 
ous zones by making a detour. 

462. Credentials of Parlementaire 

Parlementaires must be duly authorized in a written instrument 
signed by the commander of the forces. 

463. Reception of Parlementaire 

The commander to whom a parlementaire is sent is not in all 
cases obliged to receive him. 

He may take all the necessary steps to prevent the parle- 
mentaire taking advantage of his mission to obtain information. 

In case of abuse, he has the right to detain the parlementaire 
temporarily. (BR, art. 33.) 

464. Conditions for Receipt of Parlementaire 

A commander may declare the formalities and conditions upon 
which he will receive a parlementaire and fix the hour and place at 
which he must appear. The present rule is that a belligerent may not 
declare beforehand, even for a specified period — except in case of 
reprisal for abuses of the flag of truce — that he will not receive par- 
lementaires. An unnecessary repetition of visits need not be allowed. 

While within the lines of the enemy, the parlementaire must obey 
all instructions given him. He may be required to deliver his mes- 
sage to a subordinate of the commander. 

465. Detention of Parlementaire 

In addition to the right of detention for abuse of his position, a 
parlementaire may be detained in case he has seen anything or ob- 
tained knowledge which may be detrimental to the enemy, or if his 
departure would reveal information on the movement of troops. He 
should be detained only so long as circumstances imperatively de- 
mand, and information should be sent at once to his commander as 
to such detention, as well as of any other action taken against him or 
against his party. 

466. loss of Inviolability 

The parlementaire loses his rights of inviolability if it is proved 
in a clear and incontestable manner that he has taken advantage 
of his privileged position to provoke or commit an act of 
treachery. (SB, art. $4.) 

467. Abuse of Flag of Truce 

It is an abuse of the flag of truce, forbidden as an improper ruse 
under Article 23 (/), HR (par. 52), for an enemy not to halt and 
cease firing while the parlementaire sent by him is advancing and 
being received by the other party ; likewise, if the flag of truce is made 



168 



use of for the purpose of inducing the enemy to believe that a parle- 
mentaire is going to be sent when no such intention exists. It is also 
an abuse of a flag of truce to carry out operations under the protec- 
tion accorded by the enemy to it and those accompanying it. An in- 
dividual or a party acts treacherously in displaying a white flag 
indicative of surrender as a imse to permit attack upon the forces of 
the other belligerent. An abuse of a flag of truce may authorize a 
resort to reprisals. 

468. Neutral Areas 

If it is anticipated that negotiations between belligerents may be 
prolonged, a neutralized area may by agreement of the parties be 
set aside for the site of the negotiations. The belligerents may agree 
that no combat activity will take place within or over the area and 
that forces will be detailed to maintain the security of the area. The 
area designated as neutral on maps interchanged by representatives of 
the belligerents may be marked with searchlights, balloons, and other 
devices to insure that it will not be attacked. 

Section IV. CARTELS 

469. Cartels 

In its narrower sense, a cartel is an agreement entered into by 
belligerents for the exchange of prisoners of war. In its broader sense, 
it is any convention concluded between belligerents for the purpose of 
arranging or regulating certain kinds of nonhostile intercourse other- 
wise prohibited by reason of the existence of the war. Both parties 
to a cartel are in honor bound to observe its provisions with the most 
scrupulous care, but it is voidable by either party upon definite proof 
that it has been intentionally violated in an important particular by 
the other party. (See par. 197.) 

Section V. CAPITULATIONS 

470. Capitulation Defined 

A capitulation is an agreement entered into between commanders 
of belligerent forces for the surrender of a body of troops, a fortress, 
or other defended locality, or of a district of the theater of operations. 
A surrender may be effected without resort to a capitulation, 

471. Military Honor in Capitulations 

Capitulations agreed upon between the contracting parties 
must take into account the rules of military honour. 

Once settled, they must be scrupulously observed by both par- 
ties. (HR,art.S5.) 

472. Powers of Commanders 

Subject to the limitations hereinafter indicated, the commander of 
a body of troops is presumed to be duly authorized to enter into 



169 



capitulations. In the case of a commander of a military force of the 
United States, if continued battle has become impossible and he can- 
not communicate with his superiors, these facts will constitute proper 
authority to surrender. If a commander of military forces of the 
United States surrenders unnecessarily and shamefully or in violation 
of orders from higher authority, he is liable to trial and punishment 
(see UCMJ, Art. 99 (2)). The fact that any commander surrenders 
in violation of orders or the law of his own State does not impair the 
validity of the surrender. A commanding officer's powers do not ex- 
tend beyond the forces and territory under his command. Unless so 
authorized by his government, he does not possess power to bind his 
government to a permanent cession of the place or places under his 
command, or to any surrender of sovereignty over territory, or to any 
cessation of hostilities in a district beyond his command, or to agree 
to terms of a political nature or such as will take effect after the 
termination of hostilities. 

473. Surrenders Concluded by Political Authorities 

The surrender of a place or force may also be arranged by the politi- 
cal authorities of the belligerents without the intervention of the 
military authorities. In this case the capitulation may contain other 
than military stipulations. 

474. Form of Capitulations 

There is no specified form for capitulations. They may be con- 
cluded either orally or in writing, but in order to avoid disputes, they 
should be reduced to writing. The agreement should contain in precise 
terms every condition to be observed on either side, excepting such con- 
ditions as are clearly imposed by the laws of war. Details of time and 
procedure should be prescribed in the most exact and unequivocal 
language. Even in case of an unconditional surrender, when the terms 
are dictated by the victor, they should nevertheless be embodied in a 
written capitulation as soon as practicable. 

475. Subjects Usually Regulated 

In the capitulation (the instrument of surrender), the following 
subjects are usually dealt with, insofar as they are relevent to the 
circumstances of the particular surrender : 

a. The force or territory which is surrendered and the exact time 
at which the surrender is to take effect. 

b. Disposition of the enemy forces. A stipulation is normally 
included concerning the movements and administration of the sur- 
rendered forces after the surrender. The provisions of the capitula- 
tion may, for example, require that the troops assemble at designated 
points or that they remain in their present positions. It is normally 
understood that the surrendered forces are to become prisoners of 
war. In the event both belligerents are parties to GPW, little or noth- 



170 



irig more on that subject need be included in the capitulation. How- 
ever, special circumstances, such as inability of the victor to guard, 
evacuate, and maintain large numbers of prisoners of war or to occupy 
the area in which enemy military forces are present, may justify the 
victorious commander in allowing the defeated force to remain in its 
present positions, to withdraw, or to disperse after having been dis- 
armed and having given their paroles, provided that the giving of 
paroles is not forbidden by the laws of their own country and that 
they are willing to give their paroles (see par. 185). 

c. If a place or area is surrendered, provisions relative to the with- 
drawal of the defenders and the entering into possession of the vic- 
torious troops. These matters should be fixed in advance with 
precision. 

d. Disposition of medical personnel and the wounded and sick. 

e. Disposition of prisoners of . war, civilian internees, and other 
persons held in the custody of the surrendered troops. 

/. Disarmament. Normally, provisions are included to govern the 
disposition of enemy arms, equipment, and other property in the hands 
of the force which has surrendered. Officers are sometimes allowed 
to retain their side arms in addition to the articles they are allowed 
to keep under Article 18, GPW (par. 94). 

ffi Prohibition of destruction by the surrendered forces of their 
materiel or installations, or communications, transportation facilities, 
and other public utilities in the area concerned. 

h. The provision of facilities and of information on such matters 
as minefields and other defense measures. 

i. The civil administration of the area concerned, if a place or area 
is surrendered. 

Orders given by the victor. It is normally stipulated that the 
orders of the victorious commander will be scrupulously carried out 
by the surrendered forces and that those who fail to comply with such 
orders or with the terms of the surrender itself, will be severely 
punished. 

476. Damage or Destruction of Property Prohibited After Surrender 

From the moment of surrender the party surrendering has no right 
to demolish, destroy, or injure facilities, installations, or materiel 
under his control, unless otherwise stipulated in the capitulation. 
Nothing, however, prevents a commander who intends to surrender 
from carrying out such destruction, provided he does so before 
signing the capitulation. 

477. Violation of Terms of a Capitulation 

Violation of the terms of a capitulation by individuals is punishable 
as a war crime. If the violation is directed by the commander who 
capitulated or by higher authority, the other belligerent may denounce 



171 



the capitulation and resume hostilities. Like action may also be 
taken if the capitulation was obtained through a breach of faith. 

478. Unconditional Surrender 

An unconditional surrender is one in which a body of troops gives 
itself up to its enemy without condition. It need not be effected on the 
basis of an instrument signed by both parties. Subject to the restric- 
tions of the law of war, the surrendered troops are governed by the 
directions of the State to which they surrender. 

Section VI. ARMISTICES 

479. Definition 

An armistice (or truce, as it is sometimes called) is the cessation 
of active hostilities for a period agreed upon by the belligerents. It 
is not a partial or temporary peace; it is only the suspension of 
military operations to the extent agreed upon by the parties. 

480. Effect of Arm Jit Ice 

An armistice suspends military operations by mutual agree- 
ment between the belligerent parties. If its duration is not de- 
fined, the belligerent parties may resume operations at any time, 
provided always that the enemy is warned within the time agreed 
upon, in accordance with the terms of the armistice. (HE, 
art. 36.) 

481 . Armistice No Excuse for Lack of Vigilance 

The existence of an armistice does not wan-ant relaxation of vigi- 
lance in the service of security and protection, or in the preparedness 
of troops for action, or exposing positions to the enemy. 

482. Kinds of Armistice 

An armistice may be general or local. The first suspends the 
military operations of the belligerent States everywhere; the 
second only between certain fractions of the belligerent armies 
and within a fixed radius. (BR, art. 37.) 

483. General Armistices 

General armistices are usually of a combined political and military 
character. They usually precede the negotiations for peace, but may 
be concluded for other purposes. Due to its political importance, a 
general armistice is normally concluded by senior military officers or 
by diplomatic representatives or other high civilian officials. If an 
armistice contains political terms, it must be made under authoriza- 
tion from the governments concerned or subject to approval by them. 

484. Local Armistices 

A local armistice suspends operations between certain portions of 
tile belligerent forces or within a designated district of the theater 
of operations. A local armistice may be concluded by the military 



172 



forces only, or by the naval forces only, or between a less number than 
all of the belligerents at war. Commanders of the forces concerned 
are presumed to be competent to conclude local armistices, and ratifi- 
cation upon the part of their governments is not required unless spe- 
cially stipulated in the armistice agreement. 

It is always a condition of a local armistice that a considerable part 
of the forces and the region of war must be included and that the 
cause for which it is concluded is not merely some pressing local in- 
terest, as in the case of a suspension of arms {see next paragraph), but 
one of a more general character, such as a general exhaustion of the 
opposing belligerent in one part of the theater of war. 

485. Suspension of Arms 

A suspension of arms is a form of armistice concluded between 
commanders of military forces for some local military purpose, such 
as to bury the dead, to collect the wounded, to arrange for exchange 
of prisoners, or to enable a commander to communicate with his 
government or superior officer. 

466. Form of Armistice 

No special form for an armistice is prescribed. It should, if pos- 
sible, be reduced to writing, in order to avoid misunderstandings and 
for the purpose of reference should differences of opinion arise. It 
should be drafted with the greatest precision and with absolute 
clearness. 

467. What Stipulations an Armistice Should Contain 

Stipulations covering the following matters should be incorporated 
in an armistice : 

a. Precise Date, Day, and Hour of Commencement of the Armistice. 
The precise date, day, and hour for the suspension of hostilities 
should also be stipulated. The effective times may be different in dif- 
ferent geographical areas. An armistice commences, in the absence 
of express mention to the contrary, at the moment it is signed. 

b. Duration of the Armistice. The duration may be for a definite 
or indefinite period. In case it is indefinite, a belligerent may resume 
operations at any time after notice. The terms and manner of giving 
such notice should be specified. If a term is fixed and no agreement 
has been made for prolonging it, hostilities may be resumed without 
notice at the expiration of the term in the absence of positive agrees 
ment to the contrary. 

c. Principal Lines and AU Other Marks or Signs Necessary To De- 
termine the Locations of the Belligerent Troops. For this purpose 
maps with the lines indicated thereon may be attached to aiid made 
part of the armistice. Provision may be included for a neutral zone 
between the two armies. It is usually agreed that these lines are not 
to be crossed or the neutral zone entered except by parlementaires or 

173 

684524 0-63— 12 



other parties by special agreement for specified purposes, such as to 
bury the dead and collect the wounded. 

d. Relation of the Armies With the Local Inhabitants. If it is 
desired to make any change during the armistice in the relations be- 
tween the opposing forces and the peaceable inhabitants, this must be 
accomplished by express provision. Otherwise these relations remain 
unchanged, each belligerent continuing to exercise the same rights as 
before, including the right to prevent or control all intercourse be- 
tween the inhabitants within his lines and persons within the enemy 
lines. 

e. Acts To Be Prohibited During the Armistice. In the absence 
of stipulations to the contrary, each belligerent is authorized to make 
movements of troops within his own lines, to receive reinforcements, 
to construct new fortifications, installations, and bases, to build and 
repair transportation and communications facilities, to seek infor- 
mation about the enemy, to bring up supplies and equipment, and, 
in general, to take advantage of the time and means at his disposal 
to prepare for resuming hostilities. 

/. Disposition of Prisoners of War. If it is desired that prisoners 
of war and civilian internees should be released or exchanged, specific 
provisions in this regard should be made. (See GPW, art. 118; par. 
198 herein.) 

g. Consultative Machinery. It is generally desirable to provide 
for the establishment of a commission, composed of representatives of 
the opposing forces, to supervise the implementation of the armistice 
agreement. Additional commissions, composed of representatives of 
the belligerents or of neutral powers or both, may be constituted to 
deal with such matters as the repatriation of prisoners of war. 

488. Political and Military Stipulations in General Armistices 

In addition to the provisions set forth in the preceding paragraph, 
general armistices normally contain a number of political and mili- 
tary stipulations concerning such matters as the evacuation of terrir 
tory; disposition of aircraft and shipping; cooperation in the punish- 
ment of war crimes; restitution of captured or looted property; com 7 
munications facilities and public utilities; civil administration; disT 
placed persons; and the dissolution of organizations which may 
subvert public order. 

489. Intercourse in Theater of Operations 

a. Treaty Provision. 

It rests with the contracting parties to settle, in the terms of the 
armistice, what communications may be held in the theatre of 
war with the inhabitants and between the inhabitants of one bel- 
ligerent State and those of the other. {FIR, art. 39.) 

b. Rule in Absence of Stipulation. If nothing is stipulated, the 
intercourse remains suspended, as during actual hostilities. 



T74 



490. Notification of Armistice 

An armistice must be notified officially and in good time to the 
competent authorities and to the troops. Hostilities are sus- 
pended immediately after the notification, or on the date fixed. 

(HR, art. 38.) 

491. When Binding 

An armistice is binding upon the belligerents from the time of the 
agreed commencement, but the officers of the armies are responsible 
only from the time when they receive official information of its 
existence. 

492. Denunciation of Armistice 

Any serious violation of the armistice by one of the parties gives 
the other party the right of denouncing it, and even, in cases of 
urgency, of recommencing hostilities immediately. (SR t art. Jfi.) 

493. Denunciation Muil Not Involve Perfidy 

An armistice, like other formal agreements between belligerents, en- 
gages the honor of both parties for the exact and complete fulfillment 
of every obligation thereby imposed. It would be an outrageous act 
of perfidy for either party, without warning, to resume hostilities dur- 
ing the period of an armistice, with or without a formal denunciation 
thereof, except in case of urgency and upon convincing proof of in- 
tentional and serious violation of its terms by the other party. Never- 
theless, under the article last above quoted, upon definite proof of such 
a violation of the armistice, if the delay incident to formal denuncia- 
tion and warning seems likely to give the violator a substantial advan- 
tage of any kind, the other party is free to resume hostilities without 
warning and with or without a formal denunciation. 

494. Violation! of Armistice by Individuals 

a. Treaty Provision. 

A violation of the terms of the armistice by private persons act- 
ing on their own initiative only entitles the injured party to de- 
mand the punishment of the offenders or, if necessary, compensa- 
tion for the losses sustained. (HR, art. 41.) 

b. Private Individuals Defined. A private individual, in the sense 
of the foregoing article, refers to any person, including a member of 
the armed forces, who acts on his own responsibility. 

c. Effect of Violation of Armistice by Individuals. Violation of 
the terms of an armistice by individuals is punishable as a war crime. 
Such violations by individual soldiers or subordinate officers do not 
justify denunciation of the armistice unless they are proved to have 
been committed with the knowledge and actual or tacit consent of their 
own government or commander. Consent may be inferred in the 
event of a persistent failure to punish such offenders. 



175 



CHAPTER 8 



REMEDIES FOR VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW; WAR 

CRIMES 



Section I. REMEDIES AND REPRISALS 

495. Remedies of Injured Belligerent 

In the event of violation of the law of war, the injured party may 
legally resort to remedial action of the following types : 

a. Publication of the facts, with a view to influencing public opinion 
against the offending belligerent 

b. Protest and demand for compensation and/ or punishment of the 
individual offenders. Such communications may be sent through the 
protecting power, a humanitarian organization performing the duties 
of a protecting power, or a neutral state, or by par lenient aire direct 
to the commander of the offending forces. Article 3, B. TV, provides 
in this respect : 

A belligerent party which violates the provisions of the said 
Regulations shall, if the case demands, be liable to par compensa- 
tion. It shall be responsible for all acts committed by persons 
forming part of its armed forces. 

c. Solicitation of the good offices, mediation, or intervention of 
neutral States for the purpose of making the enemy observe the law 
of war. See Articles 11, GWS; 11, GWS Sea; 11, GPW; 12, GC 
(par. 19), concerning conciliation procedure through the protecting 
powers. 

di Punishment of captured offenders as war criminals. 
e. Eeprisals. 

496. Inquiry Concerning Violations Of Geneva Conventions of 1949 

GWS, GWS Sea, GPW, and GO contain a common provision that — 

At the request of a Party to the conflict, an enquiry shall be 
instituted, in a manner to be decided between the interested 
Parties, concerning any alleged violation of the Convention. 

If agreement has not been reached concerning the procedure for 
the enquiry, the Parties should agree on the choice of an umpire 
who will decide upon the procedure to be followed. 

Once the violation has been established, the Parties to the con- 
flict shall put an end to it and shall repress it with the least 
possible delay. (GWS, art. 52; GWS Sea, art. 63; GPW, art. 132; 
GC, art. 149.) 



176 



497. Reprisals 

a. Definition. Reprisals are acts of retaliation in the form of con- 
duct which would otherwise be unlawful, resorted to by one belligerent 
against enemy personnel or property for acts of warfare committed 
by the other belligerent in violation of the law of war, for the purpose 
of enforcing future compliance with the recognized rules of civilized 
warfare. For example, the employment by a belligerent of a weapon 
the use of which is normally precluded by the law of war would con- 
stitute a lawful reprisal for intentional mistreatment of prisoners of 
war held by the enemy. 

b. Priority of Other Remedies. Other means of securing compli- 
ance with the law of war should normally be exhausted before resort 
is had to reprisals. This course should be pursued unless the safety of 
the troops requires immediate drastic action and the persons who ac- 
tually committed the offenses cannot be secui-ed. Even when appeal 
to the enemy for redress has failed, it may be a matter of policy to 
consider, before resorting to reprisals, whether the opposing forces are 
not more likely to be influenced by a steady adherence to the law 
of war on the part of their adversary. 

c. Against Whom Permitted. Reprisals against the persons or 
property of prisoners of war, including the wounded and sick, and 
protected civilians are forbidden (GPW, art. 13; GC t art. 33). Col- 
lective penalties and punishment of prisoners of war and protected 
civilians are likewise prohibited (GPW, art. 87; GO, art. 33). How- 
ever, reprisals may still be visited on enemy troops who have not yet 
fallen into the hands of the forces making the reprisals. 

d. When and How Employed. Reprisals are never adopted merely 
for revenge, but only as an unavoidable last resort to induce the 
enemy to desist from unlawful practices. They should never be em- 
ployed by individual soldiers except by direct orders of a commander, 
and the latter should give such orders only after careful inquiry into 
the alleged offense. The highest accessible military authority should 
be consulted unless immediate action is demanded, in which event a 
subordinate commander may order appropriate reprisals upon his 
own initiative. Ill-considered action may subsequently be found to 
have been wholly unjustified and will subject the responsible officer 
himself to punishment for a violation of the law of war. On the other 
hand, commanding officers must assume responsibility for retaliative 
measures when an unscrupulous enemy leaves no other recourse against 
the repetition of unlawful acts. 

e. Form of Reprisal. The acts resorted to by way of reprisal need 
not conform to those complained of by the injured party, but should 
not be excessive or exceed the degree of violence committed by the 
enemy. 



177 



f. Procedure. The rule requiring careful inquiry into the real 
occurrence will always be followed unless the safety of the troops re- 
quires immediate drastic action and the persons who actually com- 
mitted the offense cannot be ascertained. 

g. Hostages. The taking of hostages is forbidden {GO, art. 
The taking of prisoners by way of reprisal for acts previously com- 
mitted (so-called "reprisal prisoners") is likewise forbidden. (See 
GO, art. 33.) 

Section II. CRIMES UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW 

498. Crimes Under International Law 

Any person, whether a member of the armed forces or a civilian, 
who commits an act which constitutes a crime under international law 
is responsible therefor and liable to punishment. Such offenses in 
connection with war comprise: 

a. Crimes against peace. 

b. Crimes against humanity. 

c. War crimes. 

Although this manual recognizes the criminal responsibility of in- 
dividuals for those offenses which may comprise any of the foregoing 
types of crimes, members of the armed forces will normally be con- 
cerned only with those offenses constituting "war crimes." 

499. War Crimes 

The term "war crime" is the technical expression for a violation of 
the law of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. Every 
violation of the law of war is a war crime. 

500. Conspiracy, Incitement, Attempts, and Complicity 

Conspiracy, direct incitement, and attempts to commit, as well as 
complicity in the commission of, crimes against peace, crimes against 
humanity, and war crimes are punishable. 

501 . Responsibility for Acts of Subordinates 

In some cases, military commanders may be responsible for war 
crimes committed by subordinate members of the armed forces, or 
other persons subject to their control. Thus, for instance, when troops 
commit massacres and atrocities against the civilian population of 
occupied territory or against prisoners of war, the responsibility may 
rest not only with the actual perpetrators but also with the com- 
mander. Such a responsibility arises directly when the acts in ques- 
tion have been committed in pursuance of an order of the commander 
concerned. The commander is also responsible if he has actual knowl- 
edge, or should have knowledge, through reports received by him or 
through other means, that troops or other persons subject to his con- 
trol are about to commit or have committed a war crime and he fails 



178 



to take the necessary and reasonable steps to insure compliance "with 
the law of war or to punish violators thereof, 

502. Grave Breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 as War Crimes 

The Geneva Conventions of 1949 define the following acts as 
"grave breaches," if committed against persons or property protected 
by the Conventions: 

a. GWSandGWS Sea, 

Grave breaches to which the preceding Article relates shall be 
those involving any of the following acts, if committed against 
persons or property protected by the Convention : wilful killing, 
torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments, 
wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or 
health, and extensive destruction and appropriation of property, 
not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully 
and wantonly. (GWS, art. '50; GWS Sea, art. 51.) 

i. GPW. 

Grave breaches to which the preceding Article relates shall be 
those involving any of the following acts, if committed against 
persons or property protected by the Convention: wilful killing, 
torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments, 
wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or 
health, compelling a prisoner of war to serve in the forces of the 
hostile Power, or wilfully depriving a prisoner of war of the 
rights of fair and regular trial prescribed in this Convention. 
(GPW, art. ISO.) 

c. GG. 

Grave breaches to which the preceding Article relates shall be 
those involving any of the following acts, if committed against 
persons or property protected by the present Convention : wilful 
killing, torture or inhuman treatment, including biological ex- 
periments, wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to 
body or health, unlawful deportation or transfer or unlawful 
confinement of a protected person, compelling a protected person 
to serve in the forces of a hostile Power, or wilfully depriving a 
protected person of the rights of fair and regular trial prescribed 
in the present Convention, taking of hostages and extensive de- 
struction and appropriation of property, not justified by mili- 
tary necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. (GC, 
art. U7.) 

503. Responsibilities of the Contracting Parties 

No High Contracting Party shall be allowed to absolve itself or 
any other High Contracting Party of any liability incurred by it- 
self or by another High Contracting Party in respect of breaches 



179 



referred to in the preceding Article. (GWS, art. 51; GWS Sea, 
art. 52; GPW, art. 131; GO, art. 148.) 

504. Other Types of War Crimes 

In addition to the "grave breaches" of the Geneva Conventions of 
1949, the following acts are representative of violations of the law of 
war ("war crimes") : 

a. Making use of poisoned or otherwise forbidden arms or am- 
munition, 

b. Treacherous request for quarter. 

c. Maltreatment of dead bodies. 

d. Firing on localities which are undefended and without military 
significance. 

e. Abuse of or firing on the flag of truce. 
/. Misuse of the Red Cross emblem. 

g. Use of civilian clothing by troops to conceal their military char- 
acter during battle. 

h. Improper use of privileged buildings for military purposes. 

i. Poisoning of wells or streams. 

j. Pillage or purposeless destruction. 

k. Compelling prisoners of war to perform prohibited labor. 
I. Killing without trial spies or other persons who have, committed 
hostile acts. 

m. Compelling civilians to perform prohibited labor. 
n. Violation of surrender terms. 

Section 111. PUNISHMENT OF WAR CRIMES 

505. Trials 

a. Nature of Proceeding. Any person charged with a war crima 
has the right to a fair trial on the facts and law. 

b. Rights of Accused. Persons accused of "grave breaches" of the 
Geneva Conventions of 1949 are to be tried under conditions no less 
favorable than those provided by Article 105 and those following 
(par. 181 and following) of GPW (GWS, art. 49; GWS Sea, art. 50; 
GPW, art. 129; GO, art. 146, 4th par. only; par. 506 herein.) 

c. Rights of Prisoners of War. Pursuant to Article 85, GPW 
(par. 161), prisoners of war accused of war crimes benefit from the 
provisions of GPW, especially Articles 82-108 (pars. 158-184). 

d. How Jurisdiction Exercised. War crimes are within the juris- 
diction of general courts-martial (UOMJ, Art. IS), military commis- 
sions, provost courts, military government courts, and other military 
tribunals (UOMJ, Art. 21) of the United States, as well as of inter- 
national tribunals. 

e. Law Applied. As the international law of war is part of the law 
of the land in the United States, enemy personnel charged with war 



180 



crimes are tried directly under international law without recourse to 
the statutes of the United States. However, directives declaratory 
of international law may be promulgated to assist such tribunals in 
the performance of their function. (See pars. 506 and 507.) 

506. Suppression of War Crimes 

a. Geneva Conventions of 10^9. The Geneva Conventions of 1949 
contain the following common undertakings : 

The High Contracting Parties undertake to enact any legisla- 
tion necessary to provide effective penal sanctions for persons 
committing, or ordering to be committed, any of the grave 
breaches of the present Convention defined in the following 
Article. 

Each High Contracting Party shall be under the obligation to 
search for persons alleged to have committed, or to have ordered 
to be committed, such grave breaches, and shall bring such per* 
sons, regardless of their nationality, before its own courts. It 
may also, if it prefers, and in accordance with the provisions of 
its own legislation, hand such persons over for trial to another 
High Contracting Party concerned, provided such High Con- 
tracting Party has made out a prima facie case. 

Each High Contracting Party shall take measures necessary 
for the suppression of all acts contrary to the provisions of the 
present Convention other than the grave breaches defined in the 
following Article. 

In all circumstances, the accused persons shall benefit by 
safeguards of proper trial and defence, which shall not be less 
favourable than those provided by Article 105 and those following 
of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners 
of War of August 12, 1949. (GWS, art. 4#; GWS Sea, art 50; GPW, 
art. 129; GO, art. UG.) 

b. Declaratory Character of Above Principles. The principles 
quoted in a, above, are declaratory of the obligations of belligerents 
under customary international law to take measures for the punish- 
ment of war crimes committed by all persons, including members of 
a belligerent's own armed forces. 

c. Grave Breaches. "Grave breaches" of the Geneva Conventions 
of 1949 and other war crimes which are committed by enemy per- 
sonnel or persons associated with the enemy are tried and punished 
by United States tribunals as violations of international law. 

If committed by persons subject to United States military law, 
these "grave breaches" constitute acts punishable under the Uniform 
Code of Military Justice. Moreover, most of the acts designated 
as "grave breaches" are, if committed within the United States, 
violations of domestic law over which the civil courts can exercise 
jurisdiction. 



181 



507. Universality of Jurisdiction 

a. Victims of War Crimes. The jurisdiction of United States 
military tribunals in connection with war crimes is not limited to of- 
fenses committed against nationals of the United States but extends 
also to all offenses of this nature committed against nationals of allies 
and of cobelligerents and stateless persons. 

i. Persons Charged With War Crimes. The United States normally 
punishes war crimes as such only if they are committed by enemy 
nationals or by persons serving the interests of the enemy State. Vio- 
lations of the law of war committed by persons subject to the military 
law of the United States will usually constitute violations of the 
"Uniform Code of Military Justice and, if so, will be prosecuted under 
that Code. Violations of the law of war committed within the United 
States by other persons will usually constitute violations of federal 
or state criminal law and preferably will be prosecuted under such 
law (see pars, 505 and 506). Commanding officers of United States 
troops must insure that war crimes committed by members of their 
forces against enemy personnel are promptly and adequately punished. 

508. Penal Sanctions 

The punishment imposed for a violation of the law of war must ba 
proportionate to the gravity of the offense. The death penalty may 
be imposed for grave breaches of the law. Corporal punishment is 
excluded. Punishments should be deterrent, and in imposing a sen- 
tence of imprisonment it is not necessary to take into consideration 
the end of the war, which does not of itself limit the imprisonment to 
be imposed. 

Section IV. DEFENSES NOT AVAILABLE 

509. Defense of Superior Orders 

a. The fact that the law of war has been violated pursuant to an 
order of a superior authority, whether military or civil, does not de- 
prive the act in question of its character of a war crime, nor does it 
constitute a defense in the trial of an accused individual, unless he 
did not know and could not reasonably have been expected to know 
that the act ordered was unlawful. In all cases where the order is 
held not to constitute a defense to an allegation of war crime, the 
fact that the individual was acting pursuant to orders may be consid- 
ered in mitigation of punishment. 

h. In considering the question whether a superior order constitutes 
a valid defense, the court shall take into consideration the fact that 
obedience to lawful military orders is the duty of every member of 
the armed forces; that the latter cannot be expected, in conditions of 
war discipline, to weigh scrupulously the legal merits of the orders 
received; that certain rules of warfare may be controversial; or that 
an act otherwise amounting to a war crime may be done in obedience 



182 



to orders conceived as a measure of reprisal. At the same time it must 
be borne in mind that members of the armed forces are bound to obey 
only lawful orders (e. g., UCMJ, Art. 92) . 

510. Government Officials 

The fact that a person who committed an act -which constitutes a 
war crime acted as the head of a State or as a responsible government 
official does not relieve him from responsibility for his act. 

511. Acts Not Punished in Domestic Law 

The fact that domestic law does not impose a penalty for an act 
which constitutes a crime under international law does not relieve the 
person who committed the act from responsibility under international 
law. 



183 



CHAPTER 9 
NEUTRALITY 



Section I. GENERAL 

512. Definition 

Traditionally, neutrality on the part of a State not a party to the 
war has consisted in retraining from all participation in the war, and 
in preventing, tolerating, and regulating certain acts on its own part, 
by its nationals, and by the belligerents. It is the duty of belligerents 
to respect the territory and rights of neutral States. 

513. Neutrality Under the Charter of the United Nations 

In the event of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act 
of aggression, the Security Council of the United Nations is author- 
ized, under Articles 39 through 42 of the Charter, to make recommen- 
dations, to call for the employment of measures short of force, or to 
take forcible measures to maintain or restore international peace and 
security. Measures short of force or force itself may also be employed 
in pursuance of a recommendation of the General Assembly of the 
United Nations. Although these provisions of the Charter have not 
made it impossible for a State to remain neutral, the obligations which 
the Charter imposes have to a certain extent qualifiecLthe rights of 
States in this respect. For example, if a State is calisd upon, under 
Articles 42 and 43 of the Charter, to take military" action against an 
aggressor, that State loses its right to remain neutral but actually 
loses its neutrality only to the extent that it complies with the direction 
of the Security Council. 

A military commander in the field is obliged to respect the neutrality 
of third States which are not allied with the United States in the 
conduct of hostilities and are not violating their duty of neutrality 
toward this country, except to the extent that the State concerned has 
expressly qualified its neutrality. 

514. Notification of State of War to Neutrals 

a. Treaty Provisions. See Articles 2 and 3, H. Ill (pars. 21 and 
22). 

b. Proclamations of Neutrality. When war occurs, neutral States 
usually issue proclamations of neutrality, in which they state their 
determination to observe the duties of neutrality and warn their 
nationals of the penalties they incur for joining or assisting a bellig- 
erent. 



184 



515. Inviolability of Territory 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The territory of neutral Powers is inviolable. (H. V, art. 1.) 

b. Application of Rule. The foregoing rule prohibits any unau- 
thorized entry into the territory of a neutral State, its territorial 
waters, or the airspace over such areas by troops or instrumentalities 
of war. If harm is caused in a neutral State by the unauthorized entry 
of a belligerent, the offending State may be required, according to the 
circumstances, to respond in damages. 

516. Movements of Troops and Convoys of Supplies 
Belligerents are forbidden to move troops or convoys of either 

munitions of war or supplies across the territory of a neutral 
Power. {H.V.art.S.) 

517. Convoys of Munitions and Supplies 

A .distinction must be drawn between the official acta of the bel- 
ligerent State in convoying or shipping munitions and supplies 
through neutral territory as part of an expedition and the shipment of 
such supplies by private persons. The former is forbidden while the 
latter is not. 

51 8. Neutral State Must Prohibit Acts On Us Own Territory 

A neutral Power must not allow any of the acts referred to in 
Articles II to IV to occur on its territory. 

It is not called upon to punish acts in violation of its neutrality 
unless the said acts have been committed on its own territory. 
(H. F, art. 5.) 

519. Resistance to Violations of Neutrality 

a. Treaty Provision. 

The fact of a neutral Power resisting, even by force, attempts to 
violate its neutrality cannot be regarded as a hostile act. (H. V, 

art. 10.) 

b. Patrolling the Frontier. In order to protect its neutrality, a 
State whose territory is adjacent to a theater of war normally mobilizes 
a portion of its forces to prevent troops of either belligerent from 
entering its territory, to intern such as may be permitted to enter, and 
generally to carry out its duties of neutrality. 

520. Effect of Failure to Prevent Violation of Neutrality by Belligerent 

Troops 

Should the neutral State be unable, or fail for any reason, to prevent 
violations of its neutrality by the troops of one belligerent entering 
or passing through its territory, the other belligerent may be justified 
in attacking the enemy forces on this territory. 



185 



521. Offenses Against Neutrality Defined by Statute 

Supplementing the rules of international law, there are certain 
statutes of the United States that define offenses against neutrality 
and prescribe penalties therefor, some of which are effective only dur- 
ing a war in which the United States is neutral, and others of which 
are effective at all times (see 18 U. S. 0. 956-968, 22 U. S. 0. 441-457, 
461-465) . The enforcement of these statutes devolves primarily upon 
the civil authorities, but under certain circumstances land or naval 
forces may be employed for that purpose (see, e. g., 28 U. S. C. 461). 

Section II. RECRUITING IN NEUTRAL TERRITORY 

522. Forming Corps of Combatants and Recruiting Forbidden 

a. Treaty Provision. 

Corps of combatants cannot be formed nor recruiting agencies 
opened on the territory of a neutral Power to assist the belliger- 
ents. (II. V, art. I) 

b. Application of Rule. The establishment of recruiting agencies, 
the enlistment of men; the formation and organization of hostile expe- 
ditions on neutral territory, and the passage across its frontiers of 
organized bodies of men intending to enlist are prohibited. 

c. Personnel of Voluntary Aid Societies. This prohibition does 
not extend to medical personnel and units of a voluntary aid society 
duly authorized to join one of the belligerents. (See OWS, art. £7; 
par. 229 herein.) 

523. Responsibility as to Individuals 

The responsibility of a neutral Power is not engaged by the fact 
of persons crossing the frontier separately to offer their services 
to one of the belligerents. (II. V, art. 6.) 

524. Single Persons and Organized Bodies 

a. Individual Persons Crossing the Frontier. The prohibition in 
Article 4, //. V (par. 522), is directed against organized bodies which 
only require to be armed to become an immediate fighting force. 
Neutral States are not required to enact legislation forbidding their 
nationals to join the armed forces of the belligerents. Individuals 
crossing the frontier singly or in small bands that are unorganized 
similarly create no obligation on the neutral State. The foregoing 
rules do not, however, permit a State professing to be neutral to send 
regularly constituted military units across the frontier in the guise of 
"volunteers" or small unorganized bands. ' 

b. Nationals of Belligerent Not Included. Nationals of a bellig- 
erent State are permitted freely to leave neutral territory to join the 
armies of their country. 



186 



Section 111. SUPPLIES AND SERVICES FROM NEUTRAL TERRITORY 



525. Neutral Not Bound to Prevent Shipment of Supplies 

A neutral Power is not called upon to prevent the export or 
transport, on behalf of one or other of the belligerents, of arms, 
munitions of war, or, in general, of anything which can be of use 
to an army or a fleet. (H. V, art. 7. ) 

526. Obligations of Neutral Stale as to Supplies 

Although a neutral State is not required to prohibit the shipment 
by private persons of supplies or munitions of war, the neutral State, 
as such, is prohibited from furnishing such supplies Or munitions and 
from making loans to a belligerent. It is also forbidden to permit the 
use of its territory for the fitting out of hostile expeditions. 

527. Commercial Transactions Not Prohibited 

Commercial transactions with belligerents by neutral corporations, 
companies, citizens, or persons resident in neutral territory are not 
prohibited. A belligerent may purchase from such persons supplies, 
munitions, or anything that may be of use to an army or fleet, which 
can be exported or transported without involving the neutral State. 

528. Use of Neutral Territory for Establishment of Radio and Other 

Communications Facilities 
Belligerents are likewise forbidden: 

a. To erect on the territory of a neutral Power a wireless 
telegraphy station or any apparatus for the purpose of com- 
municating with belligerent forces on land or sea; 

6. To use any installation of this kind established by them 
before the war on the territory of a neutral Power for purely 
military purposes, and which has not been opened for the service 
of public messages. (H, V, art. 3.) 

529. Means of Communication 

A neutral Power is not called upon to forbid or restrict the use 
on behalf of the belligerents of telegraph or telephone cables or of 
wireless telegraphy apparatus belonging to it or to Companies or 
private individuals. (H. V, art. 8.) 

530. Impartiality in Allowing Use of Communication Facilities 

The liberty of a neutral State, if it so desires, to transmit messages 
by means of its telegraph, telephone, cable, radio, or other telecom- 
munications facilities does not imply the power so to use them or to 
permit their use as to lend assistance to the belligerents on one side 
only. 



187 



531. Impartiality 

Every measure of restriction or prohibition taken by a neutral 
Power in regard to the matters referred to in Articles VII and 
VIII must be impartially applied by it to both belligerents. 

A neutral Power must see to the same obligation being observed 
by Companies or private individuals owning telegraph or tele- 
phone cables or wireless telegraphy apparatus. (H. F, art. 9.) 

Section IV. INTERNMENT OF BELLIGERENT FORCES AND TENDING OF 
WOUNDED AND SICK IN NEUTRAL TERRITORY 

532. Internment 

A neutral Power which receives on its territory troops belong' 
ing to the belligerent armies shall intern them, as far as possible, 
at a distance from the theatre of war. 

It may keep them in camps and even confine them in fortresses 
or in places set apart for this purpose. 

It shall decide whether officers can be left at liberty on giving 
their parole not to leave the neutral territory without permission. 
(H. V, art. U.) 

533. Duty of Neutral State 

A neutral is not bound to permit belligerent troops to enter its terri- 
tory. On the other hand, it may permit them to do so without violat- 
ing its neutrality, but the troops must be interned or confined in places 
designated by the neutral. They must be disarmed and appropriate 
measures must be taken to prevent their leaving the neutral country. 
In those cases in which the States concerned are parties to GP W, 
Article 4, paragraph B(2), thereof requires that such persons, pro- 
vided they are otherwise entitled to be treated as prisoners of war, are, 
as a minimum but subject to certain exceptions, to receive the benefit 
of treatment as prisoners of war under GPW (see par. 61). 

534. Neutral Can Impose Terms 

If troops or soldiers of a belligerent are permitted to seek refuge in 
neutral territory, the neutral is authorized to impose the termg upon 
which they may do so. In case of large bodies of troops seeking refuge 
in neutral territory, these conditions will usually be stipulated in a 
convention drawn up by the representatives of the neutral power and 
the senior officer of the troops. 

535. Parole by Neutral 

Officers and men interned in a neutral State may in the discretion of 
that State be released on their parole under conditions to be prescribed 
by the neutral State. If such persons leave the neutral State in viola- 
tion of their parole, the State in whose armed forces they serve is 
obliged to return them to the neutral State at its request. 



186 



536. Disposition of Arms, Vehicles, Equipment, etc. 

The munitions, arms, vehicles, equipment, and other supplies which 
the interned troops are allowed to bring with them into neutral terri- 
tory are likewise detained by the neutral State. They are restored to 
the State whose property they are at the termination of the war. 

537. Maintenance 

In the absence of a special Convention the neutral Power shall 
supply the interned with the food, clothing, and relief required 
by humanity. 

At the conclusion of peace the expenses caused by the intern- 
ment shall be made good. (5. V, art. 12.) 

538. Prisoners of War 

A neutral Power which receives escaped prisoners of war shall 
leave them at liberty. If it allows them to remain in its territory 
it may assign them a place of residence. 

The same rule applies to prisoners of war brought by troops 
taking refuge in the territory of a neutral Power. (H. Y } art. 13.) 

539. Passage of Sick and Wounded 

A neutral Power may authorize the passage over its territory 
of wounded or sick belonging to the belligerent armies, on con- 
dition that the trains bringing them shall carry neither personnel 
or material of war. In such a case, the neutral Power is bound 
to take whatever measures of safety and control are necessary 
for the purpose. 

The wounded or sick brought under these conditions into neu- 
tral territory by one of the belligerents, and belonging to the 
hostile party, must be guarded by the neutral Power so as to 
ensure their not taking part again in the operations of the war. 
The same duty shall devolve on the neutral State with regard to 
wounded or sick of the other army who may be committed to its 
care. (fl. V, art. H.) 

540. Passage and Landing of Medical Aircraft 

Subject to the provisions of the second paragraph, medical air- 
craft of Parties to the conflict may fly over the territory of neutral 
Powers, land on it in case of necessity, or use it as a port of call. 
They shall give the neutral Powers previous notice of their pas- 
sage over the said territory and obey all summons to alight, on 
land or water. They will be immune from attack only when flying 
on routes, at heights and at times specifically agreed upon between 
the Parties to the conflict and the neutral Power concerned. 

The neutral Powers may, however, place conditions or restric- 
tions on the passage or landing of medical aircraft on their terri- 



68452+ 0-63 — 13 



189 



tory. Such possible conditions or restrictions shall be applied 
equally to all Parties to the conflict. 

Unless agreed otherwise between the neutral Power and the 
Parties to theconflict, the wounded and sick who are disembarked, 
with the consent of the local authorities, on neutral territory by 
medical aircraft, shall be detained by the neutral Power, where so 
required by international law, in such a manner that they cannot 
again take part in operations of war. The most of their accommo- 
dation and internment shall be borne by the Power on which they 
depend. (6?WS, art 87.) 

541. Obligations of Neutral State 

The neutral power is under no obligation to permit the passage of a 
convoy of sick and wounded through its territory, but when such a 
convoy is permitted to pass, the neutral must exercise control, must see 
that neither personnel nor material other than that necessary for the 
care of the sick and wounded is carried, and generally must accord 
impartiality of treatment to the belligerents. 

542. Internment of Sick and Wounded Passing Through Neiitral State 

The sick and wounded of a belligerent may be carried through neu- 
tral territory to the territory of the belligerent State. If, however, 
they are left in the neutral's territory, they must be interned so as to 
insure their not taking part again in the war. 

543. Sick and Wounded Prisoners of War Brought Into Neutral State 

by Captor 

Sick and wounded prisoners of war brought into neutral territory by 
the Detaining Power as part of a convoy of evacuation granted right of 
passage through neutral territory may not be transported to their own 
country or liberated, as are prisoners of war escaping into, or brought 
by troops seeking asylum in neutral territory, but must be detained by 
the neutral power, subject to the provisions contained in paragraphs 
188 through 196. 

544. Wounded, Sick, or Shipwrecked Persons in Maritime Warfare 

a. Placed on a Neutral Warship or Aircraft. 

If wounded, sick or shipwrecked persons are taken on board a 
neutral warship or a neutral military aircraft, it shall be ensured, 
where so required by international law, that they can take no 
further part in operations of war. (GWS sea, art. 15.) 

6. Landed in Neutral Potts. 

Wounded, sick or shipwrecked persons who are landed in neu- 
tral ports with the consent of the local authorities, shall, failing 
arrangements to the contrary between the neutral and the bel- 



190 



ligerent Powers, be so guarded by the neutral Power, where so 
required by international law, that the said persons cannot again 
take part in operations of war. 

The costs of hospital accommodation and internment shall be 
borne by the Power on whom the wounded, sick or shipwrecked 
persons depend. {GWS sea, art. 17.) 

545. Medical Personnel 

The medical personnel and chaplains (as defined in GWS, art. 24; 
par. 67 herein) belonging to belligerent forces who have sought asylum 
under Article 11, H. V (par. 532), may be retained and are required 
to be released as prescribed in Articles 28 and 30, GWS (pars. 230 
and 231). Medical personnel and materials necessary for the care of 
the sick and wounded of a convoy of evacuation, permitted to pass 
through neutral territory under Article 14, H. V (par. 539) , may be 
permitted to accompany the convoy. Subject to the provisions of 
Articles 28 and 30, GWS, the neutral State may retain the necessary 
medical personnel and materiel for the care of the sick and wounded 
left in its care. Failing this, it must furnish such personnel and 
materiel, and the expense thereof must be refunded by the belligerent 
concerned not later than at the termination of the war. 

546. Accommodation in Neutral Territory of the Wounded, Sick, and 

Prisoners of War Who Have Been Long In Captivity 

Articles 109 through 117, GPW, authorize parties to the conflict to 
conclude arrangements with neutral States for the accommodation of 
the seriously wounded and sick and persons who have undergone a 
long period of captivity. See paragraphs 188 through 196 for provi- 
sions in this regard, including direct repatriation of certain wounded 
and sick from the neutral country. 

Section V. NEUTRM PERSONS 

547. Neutral Persons 

The nationals of a State which is not taking part in the war are 
considered as neutrals. (H. V, art. 16.) 

548. Neutral Persons Resident in Occupied Territory 

Neutral persons resident in occupied territory are not entitled to 
claim different treatment, in general, from that accorded the other 
inhabitants. They must refrain from all participation in the war, 
from all hostile acts, and observe strictly the rules of the occupant. 
All nationals of neutral powers, whether resident or temporarily vis- 
iting an occupied territory, may be punished for offenses committed 
by them to the same extent and in the same manner as enemy nationals. 
(See GO, art. 4-; par, 247 herein, regarding the protection of neutral 
persons.) 



191 



549. Diplomatic Agents and Consuls in Occupied Territory 

Diplomatic agents of neutral States must be treated with all courtesy 
and must be permitted such freedom of action as it is possible to allow, 
with due regard to the necessities of the war. The same is true of 
consular personnel of neutral States, except those who are enemy 
nationals. 

550. Forfeiture of Rights by Neutral Nationals 

a. Treaty Provision. 

A neutral cannot avail himself of his neutrality: 

a. If he commits hostile acts against a belligerent. 

6. If he commits acts in favour of a belligerent, particularly if 
he voluntarily enlists in the ranks of the armed force of one of the 
parties. 

In such a case, the neutral shall not be more severely treated 
by the belligerent as against whom he has abandoned his neutral- 
ity than a national of the other belligerent State could be for the 
same act. (E. V, art. 17. ) 

b. Offenses in Occupied Territory. Nationals of neutral States, 
whether resident in or visiting occupied territory, may be punished 
for offenses in the same manner as enemy nationals. They may be 
deported or expelled for just cause. In the event that such a person 
is arrested, auspicious must be verified by a serious inquiry, and the 
arrested neutral person must be given an ppportunity to defend him- 
self, and to communicate with the consul of his country if he requests it. 

551. Acts Not Favorable to One Belligerent 

The following acts shall not be considered as committed in 
favour of one belligerent in the sense of Article XVII, letter 6: 

a. Supplies furnished or loans made to one of the belligerents, 
provided that the person who furnishes the supplies or who makes 
the loans lives neither in the territory of the other party nor in 
the territory occupied by him, and that the supplies do not come 
from these territories; 

6. Services rendered in matters of police or civil administration. 
(H. V, art. 18.) 

Section VI. RAILWAY MATERIAL 

552. Railway Material 

Railway material coming from the territory of neutral Powers, 
whether it be the property of the said Powers or of Companies or 
private persons, and recognizable as such, shall not be requisi- 
tioned or utilized by a belligerent except where and to the extent 
that it is absolutely necessary. It shall be sent back as soon as 
possible to the country of origin. 



192 



A neutral Power may likewise, in case of necessity, retain and 
utilize to an equal extent material coming from the territory of 
the belligerent Power. 

Compensation shall be paid by one party or the other in propor- 
tion to the material used, and to the period of usage. (H. V, 
art. 19.) 



193 



APPENDIX 
INDEX OF ARTICLES 



1949 GENEVA CONVENTIONS 

(Italics indicate a paragraph in which the article is quoted) 



Article Paragraph Ankle Paragraph 
209 37- 540 



1 . uVtj 






Article 


Paragraph 




2 


8 


£0 


3.. . 


11 


21 


4 


210 


22 


5 


Sll 


23 


6 


eis 


24 


7,- - 


SIS 


25 


8 


16 


26 


9 


17 


27 


10 


18 




11 _ 


19, 495 


28 


12. 


816 


29 


13 


208 


30 


14, , . 


ee 


31 


15-- 


816 


32 


16-- 


ei? 


33 


17 


sis 


34. 


18 


819 


35 


19 


£20, 225 


36 



2m 38- - 238 

£23 39 239 

224 40 £40 

,225,545 41. 241 

, 225, £26 42 £4£ 

, 227, 545 43 243 

229, 236, 44 £44 

555 46 £14 

, 231, 545 47 H 

68, 226 49 505, 606 

231, 545 50 B0£ 

ess 51 sos 

,233,522 52 496 

£34 59 5 

£35 63 6 

236 
237 



2. GWSSea 

Article Paragraph Article Paragraph Article Paragraph 

2 8 15.. 644 48 14 

3 11 17 544 50 505, We 

4.. 209 22 209 51 - 502 

8 -. 16 27 209 52 60S 

9 -— 17 29 209 53 -- 496 

10 18 37 209 58 5 

11 19, 495 43 — 209 62 6 



3. GPW 

Article Paragra ph Article Paragraph Article Paragraph 

2 8 6-- 86 12 88 

3 11 7 87 13 £0,497 

4 60, 61, 64, 8. 16 14 SO 

65, 72, 80, 9 17 15 91 

208,533 10. _ 18 16 92 

5 — 71,72,84 11 19, 495 17 - 93 

194 



3. GPW— Continued 

Article Paragraph Article Paragraph Article Paragraph 

18.- 59,94,475 59 135 98 156, 1 74, 158, 

19 95 60 1S6 505 

20 96 61 1S7 99. 158, * 75, 505 

21 97,185 62 138 100 158, J 76, 505 

22 $8 63 139 101 158,177,505 

23 99 64 140 102 158,178,505 

24 100 65 141 103. 158,179,505 

25.. 10i 66- 142 104. 156,158,180, 

26 10$ 67 US 505 

27.. 103 68 1^4 105. 151,158,505 

28.- 104 69 145 106 152,158,505 

29. 106 70 146 107 156,153,158, 

30- 107 71 1^7 505 

31. 108 72 148 108 154,158,505 

32 109 73. 149 109 188,546,196 

33 67 74 150 110 189,546,196 

34 110 75 151 111. 190,546,196 

35 111 76 152 112 191, 546, 196 

36 US 77. 153 113 192, 546, 196 

37 - 113 78 15^,156 114 193,546,196 

38. - 114 79 155,156 115 154,546,196 

39 115 80 156 116 195, 546, 196 

40 116 81 156,157 117 196, 546 

41 117 82 155,505 118 198 

42 118 83 158,159,505 119 200 

43.. 119 84 158,160,505 120 201, 

44 ISO 85-. 158,161,505 121 202 

45 1S1 86 158,165,505 122 SOS 

46 les 87 163,158,497, 123 204 

47 123 505 124 805 

48 1S4 88 164, 158, 505 125 156, 206 

49 125 89 158,165,172, 126 S07 

50 126 505 127 14, 156 

51 1S7 90 158,166,505 129.- 505,506 

52.- 128 91 158,167,505 130 BOS 

53 1S9 92 158,165,505 131,. BOS 

54 ISO 93 158,169,505 132 496 

55 131 94 158, 170, 505 134 5 

56 132 95 158,171,505 135 5 

57 133, 156 96 158, 172, 505 142 6 

58 134 97 158, 173, 505 



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33 S7S, 379, 397, 

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35 26, 874 

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43. 27, 888 

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47 358, 366 

48 375, 381 

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68 72, 248, 438 

69 439 

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77 447 

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112 


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113 


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114 


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115 


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116 


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117 


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118 


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120 


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122 


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H. Ill 

Article 
1 



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80 2 81, 5U 3 



Paragraph 
88, 514 



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Article Paragraph 
22.. SS 

23 28, 89, Si, 

32, 34, 87, 
58, 54, 58 
238, 370, 
378, 393, 
414, 467 

24 48, 77 

25 39 

26 43 

27 45 

28 47 

29 75, 77 



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31 7S 

32. 460 

33 46S 

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35 471 

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40- 49$ 

41 494 

42 351 



Article Paragraph 

43- 363, 370, 431 

45 S59 

46 380,406 

47 - 397 

48 425, 427 

49 428 

50 44* 

51 — 489 

52 — 418 

53 234,403,408 

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55 400 

56 - 405 



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Article Paragraph Article 

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4 528, 524 10- 

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Paragraph 

585 
529 
531 
519 
538, 545 
537 



Article 

13 

14 

16 

17 

18 

19 



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638 
539, 545 
547 
560 
551 
568 



H. IX 

Article 
5 



Paragraph 



46 



Article 



Paragraph 



Article 



Paragraph 



197 



INDEX 





Paragraph 


Page 


Abbreviations _ 


D 


iii, 4 


Accounts: 








on t 


1 1 n 
119 




94, 134-14J 


nn El 

68, 51 






20 


Aiding the enemy. _. . 


79 


33 


Aid societies: (see also Red Cross) 








rt /-i t±nn 


90, 186 






92 


Personnel protected . 


227 


90 




148-151, 206 


30, 57, 81 






93 


Airborne troops: 






Firing on persons descending by parachute 


30 


17 


Prisoner of war status 


63 


27 


Aircraft: 






Bombardment 


39, 42 


19, 20 


Medical uses., .. — . 


237, 261 


94, 104 




274-285 


108 




280-282 


110 


Confinement - .. 


276 


108 


Control: 






Measures of . , . . 


280, 281 


no 




283 


in 


Employment: (see also Labor under Internees; Prisoners 






279 


109 




.'. 25, 26 


16 


Expulsion 


27 


16 


Extradition . _ . 


284 


111 


Humane treatment: (see also Internees — humane 


treat- 




ment) 


248, 277 


99, 108 




280-282 


110 




277-285 


108 




280 


110 


Religious freedom 


277 


108 


Restrictions other than internment: 






Duration and termination - 


278, 285 


109, 112 



Rights: 

Exit from territory. 274, 275 108 

Means of existence guaranteed _ 278 109 

Protected rights of action in occupied territory 372 143 

Wartime rights 277 108 

Security measures 248, 26G, 278-282 99, 106, 

109 



T98 



.Purfljrai* Page 

Status in territory of party to conflict 274 108 

Transfer to another Power __ 284 111 

Women, special mention (see also Civilians; Internees) 277 108 

American National Red Cross (See Red Cross.) 

Annexation (see Occupied territory) 358 140 

Armed forces: 

Consist of combatants and noncombatants.. 62 27 

Qualifications for recognition as lawful 62 27 

Armistice 479-494 172 

Activities authorized and prohibited during 480, 489, 494 172, 

174, 175 

Commencement .. 487,491 173, 175 

Defined 479, 483, 484 172 

Denunciation 492-494 175 

Duration 480,487 172,173 

Effect 480, 481 172 

Form... .,. 486,487 173 

General armistice; defined... 1 482, 483, 488 172, 174 

Hostilities: 

Cessation 487, 490, 491 173, 175 

Resumption 492, 493 175 

Inhabitants, effect . 487 173 

Intercourse in theater of operations 489 174 

Lines 487 173 

Local armistice; defined 482,484 172 

For search of battlefield 485 173 

Notification 490, 491 175 

Perfidy prohibited. _ 50,493 22,175 

Prisoners of war: 

Effect 487 173 

Repatriation 487 173 

Prohibited acts 487,493 173,175 

Purpose 480, 483, 484, 485 172, 173 

Search of battlefield during 485 173 

Stipulations 487,488 173,174 

Supervision __! 487 173 

Suspension of arms 485 173 

Termination ... 487,492 173, 175 

Types _ 482-485 172 

Vigilance not to be relaxed 481 172 

Violations: 

Effects 492-494 175 

Individuals, violations 494 175 

Perfidy 493 175 

Arms (See Weapons.) 

Army of occupation (See Occupied territory.) 

Art, buildings devoted to, protection 45,46,57,405 21,24,152 

Assassination and outlawry 31 17 

Assaults, bombardments, and sieges (See Bombardments, 
assaults, and sieges.) 

Assigned residence 433 158 

Asylum: 

Neutral territory, refuge in 534 188 

Prisoner of war 199 77 



199 



Paragraph Past 

Atomic weapons (See Weapons.) 

Attaches Of neutral country S3, 456, 549 34, 

166, 192 

Bacteriological warfare (see also Weapons) 38 18 

Basic rules and principles of land warfare 1-14 3 

Belligerents: (see also Hostilities). 
Agreements : 

Armistice (See Armistice.) 

Capitulation 470-478 169 

Cartels. - 469 169 

Armed forces of, who may generally comprise 62 27 

Commencement of hostilities (See Hostilities — commence- 
ment). 
Communications: 

Methods 452,458 165,167 

Neutral territory, communications 528, 530 187 

Parlementaires. 458-460 167 

Good faith. 453 165 

Intercourse or negotiations between 449-453 165 

Allowed only upon approval of government or highest 

military authority 450 165 

Neutral diplomats may receive safe-conducts 456 166 

Parlementaires (See Parlementaires.) 

Rules for, generally 449, 450 165 

White flag, rules relating to (See White flag.) 

Neutrals, relations with: (see also Neutral Powers) 

Belligerent acts committed by neutral persons 550, 551 192 

Belligerents in neutral territory 532-534 188 

Equipment of belligerents, disposition by neutrals of 536 189 

railroad equipment in neutral territory 552 192 

Internment of belligerents by neutrals- -- 532,533,537 188, 189 

Parole of belligerents 535 188 

Nonhostile agreements (See Armistice; Capitulations; 
Cartels; Suspension of arms; Surrender.) 

Nonhostile relations: (see also Armistices; Capitulation ; 

Cartels; Surrender; Suspension of arms) 449-494 165 

Communications in general 452 165 

Communications in neutral areas 468 169 

Flags of truce 467 168 

Forms of nonhostile relations 451 165 

Good faith. 453 165 

Parlementaires (See Parlementaires.) 

Passports, military 454, 455 165, 166 

Safe conduct 454, 456 165, 166 

Safeguards 457 166 

Nonintercourse between.. 449, 450, 489 165, 174 

Notification to neutrals (see also Protecting Powers — ■ 

notification) 21 15 

Recognition as, qualifications 60-71 25 

Besieged places 44 20 

Buildings and areas protected 45, 46 21 

Communication 44 20 

Entry and exit 44 20 

Inhabitants, treatment of (see also Wounded and sick) 44 20 



200 



Paragraph Past 

Besieged places — Continued 

Neutral diplomats 44 20 

Pillage forbidden 47 21 

Bombardment, assaults and sieges 39-47 19 

Aerial bombardment 42 20 

Assaults and sieges 39-47 19 

Buildings and areas protected 39,45,46 19,21 

Identification thereof 46 21 

Undefended places 39 19 

Warning required 43 20 

Booty of war (see also Pillage) 47, 58, 59, 396 21, 24, 150 

Buildings and monuments to be spared from bombardment-- 45, 46 21 
Bullets (See Weapons.) 

Bureau of Information for prisoners of war (.See Prisoners of 

war.) 
Burial (See Dead.) 

Cables, submarine (See Submarine cables.) 
Camp followers, treatment as prisoners of war (See Prisoners 
of war.) 

Camps and depots (See Prisoners of war — camps.) 

Canteens, prisoners of war (See Prisoners of war — Canteens.) 

Capitulation 470-478 169 

Commanders, legal power to make 472 169 

Defined 470 169 

Destruction of property after signing 476 171 

Forms 474, 475 170 

Matters covered 475 170 

Methods 474 170 

Military honor -- 471 169 

Observance. . -. 471 169 

Political authorities, power 473 170 

Violation... 477 171 

Captives (See Prisoners of war.) 

Captivity (See Prisoners of war — captivity.) 

Cartels... ... 197,469 76,169 

Censorship: 

Internees correspondence 319 126 

Occupied territory 377 144 

Prisoners of war correspondence 152 59 

Central Prisoners of War Information Agency 204 80 

Cessation of arms (See Armistice; Suspension of Arms.) 

Chaplains: 

Prisoner of war, not to be considered as 67, 112 28, 44 

Protection 225,230 89,90 

Retention. 111, 230, 232 44, 90, 92 

Rights and duties, with respect to prisoners of war 111 44 

Weapons, right to carry 223 88 

Charity, protection of buildings devoted to (see also Aid 
Societies; Red Cross) 45, 46, 405 21, 152 

Chemicals, use (See Weapons.).. 38 18 

Children: 

Aliens, rights. 277 108 

Besieged areas, evacuation 256 102 

Identification discs 263 105 



201 



Paragraph Past 

Children — Conti nued 

Occupied areas, rights 383 145 

Orphans 263,383 105,145 

Safety zones, protection 253 101 

Welfare--. 262,263 104,105 

Churches, protection. 45, 46, 405 21, 152 

Civil Affairs Administration 354, 368 139, 142 

Civil capacity of prisoners of war (See Prisoners of war) 90 36 

Civil War. 11 9 

Civilians (see also Aliens; Internees; Protected persons; occu- 
pied territory) - 246-350 98 

^Application of conventions 246, 252 98, 100 

Assigned residence 280-282 110 

Children 263 105 

Civil capacity as internees 287 1 12 

Coercion prohibited 270 107 

Collective punishment prohibited 272 107 

Confinement (see Internees.) 

Correspondence permitted (see also Censorship) 264, 265 105, 106 

^Discriminations prohibited 252 100 

Dispersed families. _ 265 106 

^Employment (see also Aliens) 278 109 

Enemy: 

Aiding 79 33 

Status 25 16 

Evacuation of wounded and sick (See Wounded and sick.) 

Free passage of medical and religious supplies 262 104 

Guides, impression 270 107 

Hospitals (see also Medical personnel; Medical units) 253, 101, 

257-259, 385, 386 102, 146 

Hostages 273 107 

Hostile acts.. .. 248 99 

^-Humane treatment 266, 271 106-107 

Information bureaus (see Information Bureaus). 
Internees (see Internees). 

^Internment 286,290 112,113 

Interrogation, coercion prohibited 270 107 

Medical personnel, civilian 236, 259 93, 103 

Medical supplies, food and clothing 362 141 

Neutralized zones, protection 254 101 

Pillage prohibited 272 107 

Prisoner of war, status. 61, 64, 65, 73 25, 

27, 28, 31 

Prohibited acts toward 266, 271 106, 107 

\Protected persons, status (see also Protected persons) . . 247. 252 98, 100 

Protecting power, relations 269 107 

^Protection... 252,266 100,106 

Duration 249 99 

Responsibility 268 106 

Punishment.. 248 99 

Re-establishment _ 249 99 

Relief Organizations (see also Aid Societies; Red Cross) 269 107 

Relief shipments 388-391 147 

Renunciation of rights prohibited 251 100 

Repatriation .. 274,275 108 



202 



Parafraph Paffi 

Civilians — Continued 

Reprisals prohibited „ 272 107 

^Rights 266 106 

Derogations 248 99 

Exit from territory involved in conflict 274, 275 108 

Safety zones 253 101 

Security measures by occupying power or state 248 99 

Special agreements with regard to 250 100 

Torture and corporal punishment, prohibited 271 107 

Treatment, responsibility 268 106 

Use to immunize certain places, prohibited 267 .106 

Women, special mention (see also Aliens; Occupied terri- 
tory) 253, 256, 262, 266 101, 102, 

104, 106 

Wounded and sick 255 102 

Evacuation _ 256 102 

Medical supplies 262 104 

Protection generally 255 102 

Transportation 260,261 104 

Treatment 219 87 

Clothing: (See Internees; Prisoners of war, etc.). 

Coastal rescue craft 209 83 

Coercion prohibited (see Civilians; Internees; Prisoners of war, 
etc.). 

Collective punishment prohibited (see Civilians; Internees; 
Prisoners of war; occupied territory). 

Combatants, status as prisoners of war 62 27 

Commanders : (see also Officers) . 

Neutrality, must respect - 513 184 

Power to capitulate 472 1 69 

Prisoner of war, status -- 61 25 

War crimes, responsibility with respect to 501, 507, 509 178, 182 

Commandos, status as prisoners of war 63 27 

Commerce: 

Neutrals, transactions of private persons. 525-527 187 

Non-intercourse - 449,450 165 

Occuped territory 376 144 

Relations between neutrals and belligerents 527 187 

Communications: 
Between : 

Belligerents 452,487 165,173 

Besieged and outside areas... 44 20 

During Armistice - — 377, 487 144, 173 

Means: 

In neutral territory 528-531 187 

Use of the white flag. 458, 460, 467, 504 167, 168, 

ISO 

Complaints of: 

Internees- 308 121 

Prisoners of war 154 60 

Conciliation procedures . 19 14 

Confinement. (See Internees; Occupied territory; Prisoners of 
war.) 

Confiscation of enemy property prohibited 406 152 

203 



Paragraph Past 

Constitutional provisions relative to declaration of war 24 16 

Contributions in occupied territory 428,429 157 

Convoys: 

Munitions through neutral territory... 516-518 185 

Wounded and sick through neutral territory 539-544 189 

Correspondence. (See Civilians; Internees; Prisoners of war.) 

Courts: (see also Courts-martial; Military commissions) 

In occupied territory 373,436 143,159 

Prisoners of war.. 71, 160, 176, 178 30, 62, 68 

Provost courts, jurisdiction 13 10 

War crimes courts 505 180 

Courts-martial 13 10 

Crimes: 

Against humanity 498 178 

Against laws of war or "war crimes" 498, 499, 502, 504 178, 179, 

180 

Against peace 498 178 

Under international law . 498-504 178 

Cruelty, types prohibited. (See Prohibited acts.) 

Cultural buildings and property 45, 46, 57, 405 21, 24, 152 

Customary laws of war 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1 1 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 

Danger zones 267 106 

Dead: 

Burials 201, 218, 337 78, 86, 132 

Cremation 201, 218, 337 78, 86, 132 

Death certificates 201, 218, 336 78, 86, 131 

Examination of bodies 20 1 , 2 1 8 78, 86 

Graves 201, 218, 337 78, 86, 132 

Graves registration service 201, 218 78, 86 

Identification tags 218 86 

Information with respect 201, 202, 336, 337 78, 79, 

131, 132 

Inquiry 202,338 79,132 

Internees 336-338 131 

Personal effects, disposition 201,336 78,131 

Prisoners of war 201,202 78,79 

Robbery and ill-treatment, protected from 218 86 

Search of battlefield 216, 485 85, 173 

Security measures 248, 266 99, 106 

Treatment of bodies.. 202,218,336 79,86, 131 

Wills. 201,320,336 78,126, 

131 

Death penalty. (See Internees; Prisoners of war; Occupied 
territory.) 

Deception, . (See Ruses of war!) 

Declarations of war: 

Constitutional provisions 24 16 

Effect 23 15 

Necessity 9, 20, 24 8, 15, 16 

Notification to neutrals 21 15 

Defended place, defined 40 19 

Deployment of prisoners of war. (See Prisoners of war.) 



204 



Paragraph Page 

Deserters: 

Captured 70 30 

Enemy soldiers, inducing to desertion 49 22 

Destruction of property. (See Property. See also Devasta- 
tion.) 

Detaining Power. (See Prisoners of war — Detaining Power.) 
Devastation: 

In occupied areas, restricted 410,411 153 

Wanton, prohibited 41, 56, 58 19, 23, 24 

Diplomatic agents: 

Enemy, may be made prisoners of war — 70 30 

Neutrals: 

Accompanying army 83 34 

In besieged places 44 20 

In occupied territory.. 456, 549 166, 192 

Safe conducts 456 166 

Discipline. (See Internees; Prisoners of war.) 

Discrimination. (See Civilians', Internees; Prisoners of war, etc.) 

Dispersed families 265 106 

Dissemination of the 1949 Geneva Conventions 14 11 

Education, internees 301 117 

Emblem. (See Red Cross — emblem.) 
Enemy: 

Aliens, effect of hostilities on. (See Aliens.) 

Flags, misuse of, forbidden 64 23 

Forced partition in hostilities, forbidden. 32 17 

Insignia, misuse forbidden 54 23 

Officials, neutrals, status as POW's 83 34 

Population, status 60, 247 25, 98 

Property. (See Property.) 
Territory. (See Occupied territory.) 

Uniform, misuse forbidden 54 23 

Escape: 

Internees — . 327,328 128 

Prisoner of war 167,168 65 

Espionage, sabotage and treason: 

Aiding the enemy... 79 33 

Espionage (Spies): 

Civilians committing.. 76,248 32,99 

Definitions.. 75,76 31,32 

Immunity upon rejoining own forces 78 33 

Lawful to use - 49, 77 22, 33 

Prisoner of war, status 81 34 

Protected persons 248 99 

Punishment. 78,248 33,99 

Trial 75,78,248 31,33,99 

Use 49,77 22,33 

Sabotage: 

Prisoner of war, status of saboteurs 81 34 

Protected persons, status of saboteurs 248 99 

Punishment 82, 248 34, 99 

Spies (See this title — Espionage, above) 

Treason. 79 33 

Evacuation of prisoners of war 95, 96, 543 39, 190 



684524 0-63 — 14 



205 



PflrafwpA Page 

Executions, summary, prohibited 85, 177 35, 68 

Expulsion of enemy nationals 27 16 

Finances: 

Currency in occupied territory 430 157 

Prisoners of war (see also Prisoners of war) : 

Adjustments between parties to the conflict . 143 55 

Financial resources 134-144 51 

Repatriation costs 195 75 

Flags: 

Proper and improper use 52, 54 23 

Red Cross emblem (See Red Cross emblem.) 

Truce flag, misuse - 53, 467, 504 23, 168, 

180 

Food: 

Free passage for certain purposes 262, 388 104, 147 

Internees — - --- 296 115 

Occupied territories. 383,384, 145,146, 

388,412 147,153 

Prisoners of war 102, 105 41, 42 

Forbidden conduct (See Prohibited acts): 

Gains, private, by officers and soldiers in occupied territory 398 150 

Gases and chemicals, use 38 18 

Geneva Conventions of 1929 5 4 

Geneva Conventions of 1949 5 4 

Articles cited (See Index of 1949 Geneva Convention 
Articles.) 

Dissemination of Conventions 14 11 

Grave breaches - 502,503,506 179,181 

Interpretation... 19 14 

Protection of Civilian Persons Convention (See Civilians.) 

Reservations by United States 245 97 

Treatment of Prisoners of War Convention (See Prisoners 
of War.) 

Violation 496, 502, 503 176, 179 

Wounded and Sick Convention (See Wounded and Sick.) 
Wounded, sick and shipwrecked Convention (See Wounded 
and Sick — shipwrecked.) 

Geneva Cross (See Red Cross) 49 22 

Good faith with enemy 49, 453 22, 165 

Government, military (See Military government.) 
Government officials (See Officials under occupied territory, 

war crimes; See also officer.) 
Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions (See Geneva Con- 
ventions — grave breaches.) 
Graves registration service (See Dead.) 

Grenades, use authorized -- 34 18 

Guerrillas: 

Prisoner of war status 80 34 

Protection 248 99 

Guides, impression of enemy nationals forbidden 270 107 

Hague Conventions, United States as a party to (see also Index 

of Hague Convention Articles) S 4 



206 



Paragraph Poet 
Hospitals (See Medical units; see also Medical personnel, 
medical stores and supplies). 

Hospital ships (see also Medical units) 209,260,544 83,104,190 

Hospital zones .. 224, 253 89, 101 

Hostages, use as means of reprisals prohibited 11, 273, 497 9, 107, 177 

Hostile acts (See Hostilities; prohibited acts.) 

Hostilities 1 20-59 15 

Belligerents (See Belligerents.) 

Cessation (See Capitulation; Cartels; Armistice.) 

Commencement 20-27 15 

Agreements of belligerents on money to be retained by 

prisoners.- - 134 51 

Appoint mixed medical commissions 191 74 

Constitutional provisions 24 16 

Declaration of war required 20, 24 15, 16 

Effect on enemy nationals --- 25-27, 32 16, 17 

Establishment of information bureaus --- 203,343-350 79,134 

Exchange of titles and ranks 119 46 

Hague Convention, date to be effective between parties.. 22, 23 15 
Notification to: 

Neutrals 21 15 

Protecting Powers (See Protecting Powers.) 

Organization of Graves Registration Service 218 86 

Conduct of: (see also Prohibited acts; Weapons) 

Aerial bombardment 42 20 

Arms, etc., causing unnecessary injury (See Weapons.) 
Assassination and outlawry forbidden (See Prohibited 
acts.) 

Assaults (See Bombardment, assaults and sieges.) 
Atomic weapons (See Weapons.) 

Attack restricted to defended places (See Prohibited 
acts.) 

Bacteriological warfare (See Weapons.) 

Basic principles 1-14 3 

Battlefield, search 216 85 

Bombardments, assaults, and sieges (See Bombard- 
ment assaults and sieges.) 
Bullets, use of certain kinds forbidden (See Weapons.) 

Compelling nationals to fight against own country 32 17 

Confiscation of private property (See Property.) 
Contamination of water sources (See Prohibited acts.) 
Cruelty prohibited (See Prohibited acts.) 
Dead (See Dead.) 

Deception.. 50-55 22 

Defended place defined -- 33, 34, 40 17, 18, 19 

Destruction of property (See Devastation.) 

Destruction of life or limb permitted 41 19 

Drying or diverting water sources authorized 37 18 

Enemy nationals not to be compelled to take part 

against own country 32 17 

Enemy territory (See Occupied territory.) 
Executions, summary, forbidden (See Prohibited acts.) 
Flags, misuse of forbidden (See Prohibited acts.) 
Forbidden conduct (See Prohibited acts.) 



207 



Paragraph Pact 

Commencement — Continued 
Conduct of — Continued 

Gases and chemicals, use 38 18 

Good faith must be observed 49, 453 22, 165 

Grenades, authorized (See Weapons.) 

Information, coercion prohibited 93, 270 37, 107 

Injuring enemy, means limited (See Prohibited acts.) 
Insignia, enemy, misuse forbidden (See Prohibited 
acts.) 

Killing or wounding captives forbidden (See Pro- 
hibited acts.) 

Military necessity _ 3 3 

Offenders against the laws of war, treatment of (See 
War crimes.) 

Parachutes, firing on persons descending 30 17 

Perfidy, prohibited (See Prohibited acts.) 
Pillage of towns and places forbidden (See Prohibited 
acts.) 

Quarters, refusal of (See Prohibited acts.) 
Requisition of supplies (See Requisitions.) 
Surrender, injuries after (See Prohibited acts.) 
Termination, effects of (See also Armistice; Capitula- 
tion; Suspension of arms; Surrender) 10, 470 8,169 

United Nations Charter, applicability 23 15 

Humane treatment (See Aliens; Civilians; Internees; Prisoners 

of war; Wounded and sick.) 
Humanity, principles of, defined (see also Crimes against human- 
ity) 6 6 

Hygiene (See Internees; Occupied territory; Prisoners of war.) 

Identification cards, discs, etc. (See Children; Civilians; Dead; 
Internees; Prisoners of war; Medical personnel, etc.) 

Inducing enemy soldiers to desert » 49 22 

Information, coercion prohibited- 93, 270 37, 107 

Information Bureau: (see also Aid Societies; Red Cross) 203-207, 79,134 

343-350 

Central Information Agency 204,347 80, 135 

Exemption from postal charges 205, 348 81, 136 

National Bureau _ 203, 343 79,134 

Inhabitants of occupied territory (See Occupied territory — 
rights, etc., of inhabitants.) 

Injuries after surrender 29 17 

Insignia: 

Improper use 52, 55 23 

Proper use 54 23 

Intercourse between belligerents (See Belligerents — intercourse 
or negotiations between.) 

International Committee of the Red Cross (See Red Cross.) 

International Law: 

Crimes under 498-504 178 

Customary law. i 4, 6-9, 11 4, 6, 8, 9 

Geneva Conventions (see also Geneva Conventions) 502, 503 179 

Jurisdiction 502, 503 179 

National law 7, 511 6, 183 



208 



Paragraph Putt 

International Law — Continued 

Punishments 508 182 

Responsibility of nations for punishment 506 181 

Treaty law, force __ 7 6 

Trials _ 505 180 

Violations (see also War crimes) 498, 507 178, 182 

War crimes (See War crimes.) 

Internees: 

Accommodations: (see also this title — Camps, And see 286-342 112 
Internment.) 

Generally 289-292 113 

In neutral countries 339 133 

Accounts 305 119 

Air raid shelters 295 115 

Allowances 305 119 

Burial and cremation 337 132 

Camps: 

Administration.. 306 120 

Geneva Conventions to be posted 306 120 

Inspection _ 350 136 

Location 290 113 

Regulations, orders, etc., to be posted 306 120 

Canteens 294 114 

Censorship... 308, 319 121, 126 

Central Information Agencies 347 135 

Civil capacity 287 112 

Clothing 297 115 

Coercion _ 270 107 

Collective punishment prohibited 272 107 

Collective relief shipments (see this title — Relief shipments.) 

Compensation _ 302 118 

Complaints -. 308 121 

Confinement 329, 333 129, 130 

Correspondence... 313,314,318-320,332 123,^ 

130 

Censorship (see this title — Censorship.) 

Court proceedings 322, 325, 328, 330-333 127, 128, 

129 

Death -. 336-338 131 

Death certificates 336 131 

Discipline: 

Disciplinary punishment 326-332 128 

Generally 307 121 

Discrimination 266 106 

Education 301 117 

Employment of (see this title — Labor.) 

Escape, effect on other offenses -. 327, 328 128 

Families 289 113 

Financial allowances 305 119 

Food rations 296 115 

Graves registration 337 132 

Groupings for housing purposes 289 113 

Hazards of war, protection 295 115 

Humane treatment. 266,307,334 106,121, 

130 



209 



Paragraph Past 

Internees — Continued 

Hygiene and health 292 113 

Identification and identity cards 304,313,337, 345 119,123, 

132, 135 

Imprisonment. 325,326,329,331,332 127,128, 

129, 130 

Information Bureaus 343-349 134 

Inspection of interment facilities 350 136 

Intellectual pursuits 301 117 

Internee committees 308-311 121 

Internment (tee this title — Accommodations.) 

Internment cards 313 123 

Investigations: 

Death or injury 338 132 

Inspection of camp 350 136 

Offenses of internees 329 129 

Judicial proceedings (see this title — Court Proceedings.) 

Killed or injured; special circumstances 338 132 

Labor: 

Conditions 302 118 

Labor detachments - 303 119 

Laws applicable 324 127 

Lawsuits against . 322 127 

Legal aid 320, 322 126, 127 

Legal documents 320,336 126,131 

Maintenance. 288 112 

Medical examinations and care.. 298, 299 116 

Moneys 304,305 119 

Notifications by Detaining Power 312, 336, 338, 343 122, 131. 

132, 134 

Offenses: 

Generally — 324,327,328 127,128 

Investigation 329 129 

Punishment (see this title — Punishments.) 
Penal and disciplinary sanctions (See this title — Punish- 
ment.) 

Personal effects 304, 346 119, 135 

Petition, right 308 121 

Postal exemptions 317 124 

Prisoners of war, separation from 291 1 13 

Property, personal (see also this title — Money): 

Forwarding of personal property. 346 135 

Management 321 126 

Personal effects 304 119 

Transfers 335 131 

Protecting Powers: 

Complaints 308 121 

Notification 312,336,338 122,131, 

132 

Supervision 350 136 

Visitations 350 136 

Protection 295 115 



210 



Internees — Continued PwaffrapA 
Punishment: 

Basis 331 

Disciplinary 324-333 

General provisions 324 

Penalties prescribed 325 

Procedures for imposing 330-333 

Prohibited punishment 271,272 

Safeguards... 331,332 

Recreation 301 

Release _ 339-342 

Relief . 315 

Collective relief 316 

Exemption from fees and duties 317 

Relief shipments 315, 318, 349 

Relief societies 349 

Religious freedoms.. 293, 300 

Repatriation 339-341 

Costs. 342 

Representatives of (see also this title — Protecting Pow- 
ers) 308-311 

Residence, return 341, 342 

Rights: 

Generally 266, 291, 307, 334 

During punishment 331, 332 

Sanitation measures 292 

Transfers: 

Conditions . 334 

Methods 335 

Visitors and visits (see also this title — Protecting Powers).. 323 

Wills 320,336 

Women 288, 289, 292, 296, 298, 304, 331 



Internment: {see also Assigned residence) 

Areas... 98,290 

Civilian 286 

Prisoners Of war „ 97-1 00 

Interrogation: 

Civilians, use of force prohibited 270 

Prisoners of war 93 

Invasion, occupation distinguished from 352 

Invested areas, inhabitants 44 

Jurisdiction: 

Military jurisdiction, defined 13, 505, 507 

War crimes, jurisdiction Over 505, 507 

Killing Or wounding: 

After surrender 85 

Limitations on means 33, 34, 41 

Parlementaries, accidental Or Otherwise 461 



fati 

129 
127 
127 
127 
, 129 
107 

129, 130 
117 
133 
123 
124 
124 
123, 125, 
136 
136 

114, 116 
133 
133 

121 
133 

106, 113, 
121, 130 
129, 130 
113 

130 
131 
127 
126, 131 
112, 113 f 
115, 116, 
119, 129 

39, 113 
112 
39 

107 
37 

138 
20 

.10, 180, 
182 
180, 182 

35 

17, 18, 19 
167 



211 





Paregrapli 




Labor (See Labor under Aliens; Internees; Prisoners of war; 




Occupied territory.) 






Land warfare (See Hostilities.) 






Laws of war: 








7_i n 


6 


Basic rules and principles — 


1-14 


3 




3 


3 


Civil war, applicability . . 


11 





Custonlary laws 


4, 6-9, 11 


4, 6, 8, 9 


Declaration of war unnecessary to make applicable.. 9 


8 




15-19, 495-511 


12, 176 


Force( 


7 


6 


Interpretation of 1949 Geneva Conventions relating to.. 19 


14 




13, 505, 507 


10, 180, 
182 






183 


Protecting Powers, role with regard to. 


15-19 


12 




2 


3 




4 


4 




10 


8 


Treaties . 


4, 5, 7 


4,6 


Unwritten rules (pee this title— Customary laws.) 






Violations (tee also Prohibited acts; War crimes) 


495-511 


176 


Legal documents (tee under Internees; Prisoners of -ar) 




Levee En Masse: 






Defined 


61,65,72 


25, 28, 41 




65 


28 




354 


139 




47, 272, 397 


21, 107, 
150 


Mail (See Correspondence under civilians; Internees; 


Prisoners 




of war, etc.) (see also Censorship; Information bureaus) 




Manual, purpose . 


1 


3 


Martial law : 








12 


10 


Distinguished from military government 


12 


10 




191, 192 


74 


Medical examinations (see under Internees; Prisoners of war) 




Medical personnel: (see also Wounded and sick; Bed Cross) 






259 


103 






55, 238, 240, 259 23, 95, 103 




229, 233, 545 90, 92, 191 




67, 68, 230 


28, 29, 90 


Protection 223, 225, 226, 236 


88, 89, 93 




67, 68, 230-232 


28, 29, 90 




231-233 


91 


Security measures 


231 


91 


Weapons, right to carry , ... 


223 


88 


Medical stores and supplies: (see also Medical units) 








262 


104 


Occupied territories, use 


384, 413 


146, 154 




234 


93 




386, 413-416 


146, 154 



2T2 



Parafrapk Pace 
Medical units: (Including hospitals and mobile units.) (see also 
Medical commissions) 

Aircraft, use 237, 261, 540 94, 104, 

189 

Building, mobile units and stores, protection 220-223, 87, 93, 

234, 253, 257-258, 260, 261 101, 102, 

104 

Civilian hospitals 257, 258, 385, 386 102, 140 

Defense of, protective status not thereby denied 223 88 

Emblem of protection 55, 242-245, 248, 257 23, 90, 

99, 102 

Hospital ships 209, 260, 544 83, 104, 

190 

Hospital zones 224,253 89,101 

Hospitals (see this title — Buildings, etc.) 

Location 220, 253 87,101 

Neutral territory, passage of units through 539, 540, 541 189, 11)0 

Neutral units and the use of national flag 229,243 90,90 

Occu pied territory 257, 258, 386, 4 1 4, 4 1 5 1 02, 1 4 G, 

154 

Protection of (see this title — Buildings, etc.) 

Requisition of hospitals and other units . 386, 414-416 146, 1 54 

Termination of protection 222 88 

Transportation units 236 93 

Utilization _. 222, 223 88 

Weapons employed in connection with. _ 223 88 

Military attaches of neutral country. 83, 457, 549 34, 10G, 

192 

Military commissions 13,505 10,180 

Military government: (see also Occupied territory) 

Authority 367 142 

Courts, suspension 373 143 

Definition — 362,368 141,142 

Distinguished from martial law 12 10 

Financing.. 364 141 

Functions 363,367 141,142 

Laws to be applied. 369-372 1 42 

Necessity 362 141 

Puppet governments 366 141 

Rights protected 365 141 

Military jurisdiction... _ 13,505,507 10,180, 

182 

Military necessity 3 3 

Military occupation (See Occupied territory.) 
Military passports (See Passport, military.) 
Militia: 

Definition 64 27 

Prisoner of war status 61,64,74 25,27,31 

Mixed medical commissions (See Medical commissions.) 

Money: 

Internees 304,305 119 

Occupied territory, use of (see also Taxation) 430 157 

Prisoners of war (See Prisoners of war — finances.) 

Monuments, protection 57,405 24,152 

213 





Paratrapk 


Page 


Munitions: 






Neutral territories: 






Convoys., 


516-518 


185 


Purchases 


527 


187 


Shipments „ 


517, 518, 525-527 


185, 187 


Occupied territory: 






Seizure authorized. 


401,403 


151 




57,405 


24, 152 


National Red Cross (See Red Cross.) 






Neutral Aid Societies (See Aid Societies.) 






Neutral commerce, shipment of supplies for belligerents 51&-518, 


185, 187 




525-527 




Neutral countries (See Neutral Powers; neutral territory.) 




Neutral persons 


547-551 


191 


Belligerent acts .. 519, 523, 524, 550, 551 


185, 186, 






192 


Commerce with belligerents.. 


525-527 


187 




547 


191 


Diplomatic personnel 


S3 456, 549 


34, 166, 
192 


Export of arms 


525-527 


187 


Forfeiture of neutrality 


550 


192 


Hostile acts 


550 


192 


Medical personnel, security measures 


229, 233, 545 


90, 92, 191 


Ocpunipd fcprrit.nrv 






Dinlnmat.ip nprfSOnnpl T^inlnmAtiC 


nPFROn nftl 










Offenses committed 


550 


192 


Status _, _ .. _ 


548 


191 


Protected persons status 


247 


98 


Rifrhts fnrfpit.nrft 


550 


192 


Nputral Powprs* 








534, 545 


188, 191 


Belligerents, relations with: 






Commercial shipment 


516-518, 525-527 


185, 187 


Communication facilities, belligerents' use 


528-531 


187 




S3, 456, 549 


34, 166, 
192 


Equipment of belligerents, disposition 


536,552 


189, 192 


Export controls, impartiality 


525-527 


187 


Force, use to enforce neutrality 


519 


185 




532, 535, 537 


188, 189 




243, 540, 545 


96,189,191 
191, 185 


Movement of troops and supplies 


517,518 


185 


Parole of belligerents 


535 


188 


Treatment of belligerents 


532, 533, 537 


188, 189 


Neutral territory (See Neutral territory.) 






Neutrality (See Neutrality.) 






Notification as to: 








514 


184 




21, 514 


15, 184 



Prisoners of war, duties concerning (See Prisoners of war.) 



Protecting Power, role as (See Protecting Powers.) 



214 



Paragraph Page 

Neutral Powers — Continued 

Responsibilities 526 187 

Shipwrecked belligerents, detention 523, 544 186, 190 

Troop movements 516, 518 185 

Violations of neutrality 519,520 185 

Weapons: 

Belligerents' weapons, disposition » 536 189 

Transport or export 516-518,525-527 1 85, 1 87 

Wounded .and sick, duties toward (See Wounded and sick.) 
Neutral territory, (see alto Neutral Powers.) 

Asylum. .. 532, 534, 545 188, 191 

Belligerents in (tee alto under Neutral Powers) . .526, 532-535, 549 1 87, 1 88, 

192 

Communication facilities, use 528-531 187 

Evacuation of prisoners of war 543 190 

Inviolability- 515 185 

Medical aircraft 540 189 

Medical personnel 545 191 

Movements of troops and supplies through 516, 517 185 

Prisoners of war, escapees 538 189 

Radio stations, etc., forbidden 528-531 187 

Railroad equipment ~ 552 192 

Recruitment of troops prohibited 522 186 

Restrictions on territory 518 185 

Sale of supplies to belligerents 525-527 187 

Wounded and sick: 

Internment and passage . 539-544 189 

Neutrality: (tee alto Neutral persons; Neutral Powers; Neut- 
ral territory.) 512-552 184 

Definition 512 184 

Enforcement 519,520 185 

Forfeiture.-^... 550 192 

Notification _ 514 184 

United Nations Charter, effect 513 184 

Violations: 

Defined 521 186 

Failure to prevent, effect of 520 185 

Individuals 523,524 186 

Prevention _. ._ 519,520 185 

Punishment - 521 186 

Resistance 519 185 

Neutralized zones, creation 254 101 

Newspaper reporters, captured status 61 25 

Newspapers in Occupied Territory (See Occupied territory — 
newspapers.) 

Non-belligerent powers (see also Neutral Powers). 512, 513 184 

Noncombatants: 

Besieged places 44 20 

Prisoner of war status ". 62 27 

Nonhostile agreements (See Armistices; Capitulations; Cartels; 

Suspension of arms; Surrender). 
Nonhostile relations of belligerents (See Belligerents — non- 
hostile relations.) 449-494 165 

Nonintercourse 449,450 165 

Notification to neutrals («ee also Protecting Powers) 21 15 

215 



iVofrapA Page 

Oath of allegiance to occupying power 359 140 

Occupation (see also Occupied territory) 351-448 138 

Annexation during 358, 359, 365 140, 141 

Civil Affairs administration distinguished 354 139 

Definition - - 351 138 

Duration - 352 138 

Effectiveness 356, 360 139, 140 

Government, nature 368 142 

Invasion, distinguished from 352 138 

Proclamation 357 140 

Question of fact. 355 139 

Sovereignty not transferred.. 353, 358 138, 140 

Subjugation or conquest, distinctions 353 138 

Termination... 361 140 

Occupational accidents (See Labor under internees; prisoners of 
war; Occupied territory.) 

Occupied territory: (see also Civilians; Internees; neutral 

persons)-., 351-448 138 

Administration „ 362-378 141 

Annexation 358,359,365 140,141 

Assigned residence 433 158 

Billeting of occupation army, authorized 379 144 

Censorship of press and mail 2.- 377 144 

Charitable property (See Property — religious, charitable, 
and cultural.) 

Children . 262,263,383 104,105, 

145 

Civil Affairs Administration, distinguished 354 139 

Civil or military Government 368 142 

Coercion of inhabitants to obtain information, prohibited. 270 107 
Collective punishment (see this title — Penal Law), 

Commercial intercourse, restrictions allowed 376 144 

Commercial transactions, military personnel (see below, 

under Private gain of.) 
Confinement: (see also Assigned residence; Internment). 

Place .- 446 163 

Pretrial - - 439 160 

Treatment during... 446,447 163 

Contributions: (see also this title — Taxes.) 

Method of lev-y or collection 429 157 

Purpose 428 157 

Control of inhabitants 432, 433 1 58 

Costs of occupation (see also Contributions; Taxes.) 364 141 

Courts (see this title— Penal law) 372, 373, 436, 437 143, 159 

Crimes (see this title — Penal law.) 

Criminal procedure (see this title — Penal law.) 

Currency and exchange controls 430 157 

Death penalty (see this title — Penal law.) 
Defenses at trials (see this title — Trials.) 

Definition 351-356 138 

Detainees, treatment (see this title — Confinement, above) . . 446 163 

Deportations 382 144 

Devastation 410, 411 153 

Diplomatic personnel 83,457,549 34,166, 

192 



216 



Pvagnfi Foot 

Occupied territory — Continued 

Evacuations 382 144 

Food and clothing: 

Generally - - 384,388,413 146,147, 

164 

Requisition _ 413,416 154 

Freedom of movement 375 143 

Government: (see also this title — Administration.) 

Civil 368 142 

Duress 366 141 

Functions. 367,368 142 

Local government 366 141 

Military government 12, 362 10, 141 

Nature 368 142 

Puppet governments 366 141 

Government officials (see this title — Officials.) 

Guides, impression _ 270 107 

Hospitals: 

Protection 257,258 102 

Requisition 386, 414, 415 146, 154 

Zones 253 101 

Hostages forbidden.. 273 107 

Human rights of inhabitants 386 146 

Hygiene and health.. 385 146 

Inhabitants (see under appropriate subject headings here) 

Institutions to be protected (see alto Property) 393, 405 148, 152 

Internment (see also Internees) 433 158 

Judges (««« this title — Officials, below.) 

Labor: (see also this title — Officials).. 418-422 154 

Prohibited labor 420 155 

Protection of laborers 421 155 

Requisitions 419,420 155 

Land, private and public (See Property.) 

Laws: (see also this title— Penal law) 369-372,432,437 142,158, 

159 

Administration 370, 437 142, 159 

Application 437 159 

Immunity of occupation personnel from local laws... 374 143 

Occupation laws, when applicable 352, 360, 374 138, 140, 

143 

Publication of new laws 435 159 

Rights of action, not to be suspended. 372 143 

Repeal or suspension.. 370, 371, 434 142, 143, 

159 

Maintenance of occupation 360 140 

Medical Bupplies 384,386,388,413 146,147, 

154 

Medical units. 257, 258, 386, 414, 415 102, 146, 

154 

Military government, necessity for 362 141 

Military services, recruitment, etc 418, 420 154, 155 

Money (see tkis title — Currency.) 

Movement, restrictions 375 143 

National flags (See Flags — proper and improper use.) 

21 7 



Paraqtspk Pane 

Occupied territory — Continued 

Nationals of the occupying power: 

Immunity from local law 374 143 

Offenses committed before occupation 440 181 

Nationals of other powers, repatriation 381 144 

Neutral persons (see Neutral persons) 551 192 

Newspapers, control 377 144 

Oaths (see also this title — Officials) 359, 423 140, 156 

Obedience to occupation authorities 359, 423, 432 140, 156, 

158 

Occupation (see this title — Occupation.) 



Offenses before occupation (see this title — Penal law.) 



Officials of hostile government: 

Coercion 422 156 

Compensation... 424 156 

Oaths - 423 156 

Obedience 359, 423, 432 140, 156, 

158 

Punishment, (see this title — Punishment.) 

Removal 422 156 

Salaries 424 156 

Penal and disciplinary sanctions (see this title — Penal law.) 

Penal law (see also this title — Laws) 432-448- 158 

Appellate rights 443 162 

Applicable law 369, 370, 434, 437 142, 159 

Confinement 439, 446, 447 160, 163 

Courts 373, 436, 437 143, 159 

Defense at trial 442 162 

Individual responsibility.. , 448 164 

Legislation 434 159 

Offenses: 

Committed before occupation 440 161 

Generally 438 159 

Penalties _„ - 438 159 

Procedure for trials 441-444 161 

Publication of laws 435 159 

Punishments: 438-440 159 

Collective punishment, prohibited 272,448 107,164 

Confinement 438, 439, 446, 447 159, 160, 

163 

Death penalty . - 438, 444, 445 1 59, 1 62, 

163 

Notification to Protecting Power 444 162 

Offense committed before occupation. ... 440 161 

Repeal or suspension , 369 142 

Pillage prohibited 397 150 

Population, rights (see also appropriate subheadings under 

this title) ... 379-387 144 

Postal service... - 377 144 

Press and radio _ 377 144 

Prisoners of war, status of persons in occupied territory.. 72 31 

Private gains by officers and soldiers forbidden 398 150 

Proclamation of occupation , 357 140 

Property (See Property.) 



218 



Paragraph Pate 

Occupied territory — Continued 

Protecting Power: (see alto Internees; Protecting Powers.) 
Functions with respect to: 

Foods, medical supplies and relief 384, 388-390 146, 147 

Labor 421 155 

Trials- 442,444 162 

Notification of: 

Transfers and deportations 382 144 

Trials and sentences 441, 444, 446 161, 162, 

163 

Public finance .. . 425-431 156 

Public order 363, 369 141,142 

Punishment (see this title — Penal law.) 

Puppet Governments 366 141 

Recruitment , 418 154 

Relief and relief shipmenta 388-391 147 

Relief societies 392 148 

Religion: 

Religious assistance 387 147 

Religious freedom . 252, 266, 380 100, 106, 

144 

Religious property, protection and use 405 152 

Repatriation of nationals of other powers (tee also Civilians; 

Internees) 381 144 

Reprisals prohibited 272 107 

Requisitions (See Requisitions.) 
Red Cross (See Red Cross.) 

Residence, assigned 433 158 

Revenue (see this title— Taxes.) 

Rights of action... 372 143 

Rights of inhabitants 365, 379-387 141, 144 

Schools 383 145 

Security measures 248,266,369,399 99,106, 

142, 150 

Services, requisition 418,419,422 154,155, 

156 

Sovereignty 353,358 138,140 

Subjugation or conquest 353 138 

Submarine cables 411 153 

Taxes: (see also this title — Contributions.) 

Changes in tax law 426 157 

Collection 425,427 156,157 

Types - 426 157 

Use 425 156 

Termination of occupation 360,361,447 140,163 

Transfers of populations. 382 144 

Transportation, control 378 144 

Trials: (see also this title — Courts; Penal law.) 

Appellate rights 443 162 

Defense, rights 441-445 161 

Notification to Protecting Power 444 162 

Women («ee also Internees— women) 253, 256, 262, 266, 271, 101, 102, 

446 104, 106, 
107, 163 



219 



Paragraph Pate 

Occupied territory — Continued 
Workers (see this title — Labor.) 
Officers : (see also War crimes — officials.) 
Captured (See Prisoners of war — officers.) 

Gains, private, forbidden in occupied territory 398 150 

Internment by Neutral Powers 532,534 188 

Liability for war crimes 501, 509, 510 178, 182, 

183 

Parole in neutral countries 535 188 

Opening of hostilities (See Hostilities.) 

Orders and regulations: (see also War crimes — orders of 
superiors.) 

Prisoners of war, posting in prisoners' language ; 117 45 

Orphans, care - 263,383 105, 145 

Outlawry and assassination- — 31 17 

Parachute, persons descending 30 17 

Parlementaries --- - 458-468 167 

Parole: 

In neutral territory.. -- 535 188 

Prisoners of war (See Prisoners of war — parole.) 

Passports, military - 454,455 165,166 

Penal and disciplinary sanctions (See Internees; Occupied 
territory; Prisoners of war.) 

Perfidy. - - 50,493 22,175 

Permitted acts, specifically mentioned: 

Atomic weapons., 36 18 

Bombardment - -. 42 20 

Property destruction _ 56 23 

Ruses -- --- — - 51 22 

Spies - 77 33 

Strategems -- 48 20 

Weapons, employing fire 36 18 

Personal Property (See Internees; Prisoners of war; Property; 
Wounded and sick.) 

Physical examinations (See Internees; Prisoners of war.) 

Pillage prohibited 47,272,397 21,107,150 

Poison. 37 18 

Policing of battlefield - - - - - 216 85 

Populations shifts in occupied territory (See Occupied terri- 
tory — transfers.) 

Political authorities, power to capitulate 473 170 

Postage (See Mail.) 

Principles, basic principles of the law of war 3 3 

Prisoners of war 60-207 25 

Accidents. 193 75 

Accommodations in neutral country _ 18S-190, 194 73, 75 

Accounts (See Finances, below.) 

Accused prisoners, rights 175, 181, 882 68, 70 

Acts committed prior to capture 161 63 

Addresses of prisoners, belligerents to inform each other.. 203 79 
Administration of (see this title — Camps,) 

Agreements on treatment 86 35 

Aid societies (see also Red Cross) 69, 148-151, 206 30, 57, 81 

Aiding the enemy 79 33 

220 





Paragraph 


Pace 


Prisoners of war — Continued 








63 


27 


Appellate rights {see this title — Judicial proceedings.) 






Armistice, disposition during 


487 


173 


Authorities of detaining power, relations with 


154-157 


60 




199 


77 


Attaches and other diplomatic representatives of neutral 






83 


34 


Badges and decorations 


. 94, 116 


38, 45 




148 


57 




203-205 


79 


Burial, certificates, etc 


201 


78 


Camp followers, status 


60, 70 


25, 30 


Camps: 






Administration 


115 


45 


Geneva Conventions, regulations and orders, posting. 117 


45 


Hygiene - 


106 


42 


Responsible officer. 


115 


45 






40 




207 


82 


Transit 


100, 106 


40,42 


Working 


99 


40 




104 


42 


Captivity: («ee also this title — Capture) 








93-96 


37 




185-202 


72 


Capture: 










63 




170, 185 


66, 72 


Capture cards . 


146 


56 


Cartels . 


197, 469 


76, 169 




152 


59 


Central Prisoner of War Information Agency 


204, 205 


«0, 81 


Chaplains {see this title — ReligiouB ministers.) 








90 


36 




70 


30 


Civilians {See Civilians.) 








103, 105 


41,42 


Coercion for: 








175 


68 


Obtaining information, prohibited 


93 


37 


Collective Punishment {tee this title — Punishment.). 








62 


27 




63 


27 


Compelling to serve in hostile forces, forbidden 


502 


179 


Complaints and requests, right to make . 


154 


60 


Confinement as punishment {see also this title — Internment.) 




Conditions 173,174,179,184 


67, 69, 71 




174 


67 




179 


69 




173, 184 


67,71 




179 


69 



684524 0-63— 15 



221 



Paragraph Page 

Prisoners of war — Continued 
Conviction: 

Appeal from 182 70 

Enforcement. .- 184 71 

Notice. - -- 183 71 

Correspondence: 

Capture card 146 56 

Censorship and suspension 152 59 

Dispatches „ 147,150 56,58 

Exemption from postage and duties 150 58 

General rules. 147-153 56 

Legal documents . 153 59 

Parcels 148,149 57 

Relief shipments 148 57 

Special transport 151 58 

Telegrams 147,150 56,58 

Transfer 124 47 

Courts 71, 160, 178 30, 62, 68 

Dangerous work (see this title — Labor) 

Dead: 

Burial 201,202 78,79 

Special circumstances of death. 202 79 

Death penalty - 176, 177, 183 68, 71 

Definition: 

Persons included 60-71 25 

Persons excluded 72-83 31 

Deployment of prisoners (*ee alio this title — Labor) 99 40 

Detaining power: 

Accounts maintained 140 53 

Responsibility for treatment of prisoners 88, 91 36, 37 

Detention in combat zone 99 40 

Diplomatic personnel of neutral states 83 34 

Discipline and disciplinary punishment (see also this 

title— Punishment) 115-118, 165, 166, 172 45,64,66 

Power to administer 115, 172 45, 66 

Right of defense 172 66 

Discriminations 92 37 

Documents, legal 153 59 

Enemy, relations with 154-157 60 

Escapee (see also this title— Punishment) - 167-170, 538, 543 65, 189, 

190 

Exchange. 197,487 76,173 

Exposure to combat fire 99 40 

Exterior, relation with 145-153 55 

Evacuation (see also thiss title — Transfers) 95, 96, 543 39, 190 

Finances: 

Accounts: 

Maintained by detaining power - 94, 38, 

134, 135, 140-144 51, 53 

Right of prisoners to inspect. 141 54 

Terminating 142 64 

Adjustments between parties to conflict 143 65 

Canteen funds ,_ 104 42 



222 



Paragraph Past 

Prisoners of war — Continued 

Finances — Conti nued 

Claims for compensation 144 65 

Money of prisoners of war __ 94,134-143 38,51 

Pay advances 136, 140, 143 51, 53, 55 

Ready money 134 51 

Receipts issued for funds of prisoners. 94, 139 38, 53 

Restrictions by Detaining Power 136, 138, 139 51, 52, 53 

Supplementary pay . 137 52 

Transfer of funds 139 53 

Wages for labor or working pay 130, 133, 138, 140 50, 52, 53 

Food: 

Generally __ 102,105 41,42 

Mess supervision 120,121 46 

Force used against (see this tide — Coercion) 

Funds of prisoners (nee this title — Finances) 

General divisions of enemy populations 60 25 

Geneva Conventions, posting of text 117 45 

Gifts - _ - 148-151 67 

Graves _ 201 78 

Guerrillas.. . . 80 34 

Hospitalization (see this title — Medical Examination and 
care) 

Humane treatment 89 36 

Hygiene and health _ 106, 108, 184 42, 43, 71 

Identification and identity cards 61,93,94,201,203 25,37,38, 

78, 79 

Imprisonment (see this title — Confinement) 

Infirmaries 107 42 

Information Bureaus 203-205 79 

Information to be given by prisoners 93 37 

Injuries 107,130,131,193,202 42,50,75, 

79 

Insignia of rank and badges 94, 116 38, 45 

Insults and public curiosity, protection ■ 89 36 

Intellectual pursuits 114 45 

Interim protection if status doubtful 71 30 

International Committee of Red Cross (See Red Cross) 

Internees, to be separated 291 113 

Internment of prisoners: 

Generally 97-100 39 

In neutral country 190 74 

Interrogation -. 93 37 

Judicial proceedings 175-184 68 

Appellate rights 182 70 

Defense 175,181 68,70 

Notification of proceedings to: 

Accused... . 180,183 69,71 

Protecting Powers (see this title — Protecting 
Powers) 

Principles in general 175 68 

Sentence, validity and execution 178, 183, 184 68, 71 

Killing prohibited in certain instances 85 35 



223 



Paragraph 

Prisoners of war — Continued 
Labor: 

Accidents, occupational. 130, 131 50 

Authorized labor. . 126,128 48,49 

Complaints regarding 126,133 48,50 

Conditions 127 49 

Dangerous or humilitating labor, generally prohibited. 128 49 

Detachments of labor, administration 132 50 

Disease, occupational 130, 131 50 

Duration of, hours and days 129 49 

Employers, private 133 50 

Generally 125 48 

Medical examination and care 131 50 

Officers and non-commissioned officers 125 48 

Persons subject 125,157 48,61 

Physical examination 131 50 

Prisoners' representatives 157 61 

Rest required - 129 49 

Wages.. _ 130, 133, 138, 140 50, 52, 53 

War operations, relations to 126, 128 48, 49 

Language employed 93, 117, 155 37, 45, 60 

Laws and regulations applicable 117, 158 45, 62 

Ex post facto laws prohibited 175 68 

Legal documents 153 59 

Legislation, (see this title — Laws.) 

Letters, (see thit title — Correspondence.) 

Levee en masse 65 28 

Maintenance ... 91,136,143 37,51,55 

Medical duties 109 43 

Medical examination and care («ee alto this title — Wounded 

and sick) 107, 108, 131, 191, 192 42, 43, 

50, 74 

Medical commissions, mixed , 191, 192 74 

Medical personnel: 

Neutral personnel . . 233 92 

Retained personnel 67,68,230-232 28,29,90 

Status and duties. 67, 68, 107, 109, 131, 230, 233 28, 29, 42 

43, 50, 90, 
92 

Voluntary aid society personnel 69,230 30,90 

Mess supervision (see also this title — Food). 120, 121 46 

Militia and volunteer corps ..... 61,64,74 25,27,31 

Military attaches of neutral state 83 34 

Ministers of religion. (See Religious Ministers, below.) 
Money, (see this title — Finances.) 

Movement, liberty of „ __ 97 39 

Neutral personnel (see alto this title — Protecting Powers).. 83, 233 34, 92 
Neutral territory: 

Accommodation. 188-191, 194, 196, 538, 546 73, 75, 76, 

189, 191 

Internment 190 74 

Passage thro ugh 538,543 189, 190 

Treatment- 538 189 

Wounded and sick prisoners 188, 189 73 



224 



Paragraph Pan 

Prisoners of war — Continued 

Non-commissioned officers, supervisory work only 125 48 

Notification by belligerents: 

To each other. (tee alto thit tide — Information Bu- 
reau) 119, 134, 145 46, 51, 55 

To Protecting Power .... 145, 55,61,66, 

157, 170, 176, 177, 180, 181, 183,202 68, 69, 70, 

71, 79 

Occupational accidents, (tee this title — Labor.) 

Occupied areas, certain persons in 72 31 

Offenses (tee alto thit title — Punishment; Discipline) 158 62 

Committed prior to capture _ 161 63 

Officers: 

Generally .. 115,120 45,46 

Labor. 125 48 

Mess supervision 120 46 

Prisoners' representatives 155 60 

Quarters 173 67 

Orders and regulations, posting 117 45 

Parcels by mail may be received 148 57 

Parole I. 185-187 72 

Pay (tee also this title — Finance). 

Advance pay 136 51 

Labor, pay 130,138 50,52 

Supplementary pay 137 52 

Penal and disciplinary sanctions, (see thit title — Punish- 
ment.) 

Personal property (tee also thit title — Clothing) 94, 217 38, 85 

Physical exercise, (see thit title — Recreation.) 

Posting of Geneva Conventions, regulations, etc 117 45 

Prisoners' representatives, (tee this title — Representa- 
tives of prisoners.) 
Protecting Powers: 

Complaints 154, 157 60, 61 

Correspondence 147, 151 56, 58 

Notification as to: 

Death penalty . 176,177 68 

Judicial proceedings 180, 181 69, 70 

Killed or injured prisoners 202 79 

Labor. 132 50 

Measures taken concerning prisoners 145 55 

Recapture 170 66 

Supervision of camps 207 82 

Visitation of camps 207 82 

Protection: 

Commencement and termination 84 34 

Generally 84-92 34 

Hazards of war 99 40 

Interim 71 30 

Punishment 158-184 62 

Acts committed prior to capture 161 63 

Appeal, right 182 70 

Coercion 175 68 

Collective punishment forbidden ^ 163 63 

225 



r 



Paragraph 

Prisoners of war — Continued 
Punishme nt — Continue d 

Confinement 173 

Courts 160, 178 

Death penalty..,. 176, 177, 183 

Defense, right - 172,181 

Disciplinary punishment (see also this title — Disci- 
pline) 115-118, 165, 166, 172 

Duration 166 

Escape 167-170,538, 543 

Em post facto laws prohibited 175 

Execution of penalties 164, 173 

Forms 165 

General principles 163-165, 175 

Leniency 159 

Notice : 

Proceeding for , 180 

Results 183 

Place 173 

Repatriation or accommodation in neutral country 1 94 

Repetitive punishment prohibited 162 

Rights during 174, 184 

Safeguards 174 

Sentence, validity 

Quarters 101, 105 

Questioning 93 

Rank: 

Notification to parties to conflict , 119 

Recognition 115, 119-121, 174 

Rations {see this title — Food.) 

Recapture 167-170, 185 

Recreation 114 

Red Cross (See Red Cross.) 

Release 185-200 

Relief, shipments 148-151 

Exemption from postal and transportation charges 150 

Transportation, special 151 

Relief societies (See Aid Societies; Red Cross.) 

Religious freedoms 110-113 

Religious ministers 67,111-113 

Renunciation of rights prohibited 87 

Repatriation (see also Exchange of prisoners; Release of 
prisoners): 

Activity of repatriated prisoners 196 

Armistice to include pri visions 487 

Asylujns permitted 199 

Coats 195, 198 

Exchanges 197 

Hostilities, end 198 

Injured prisoners 193 

Mixed medical commissions, examinations 192 

Prisoners serving sentences 194 

Procedures 200 

Wounded and sick 66, 188, 189 



Paragraph Page 

Prisoners of war—Continued 

Reports 154 60 

Representatives of prisoners 154-157 60 

Duties.. 156 61 

Prerogatives ^ 157 61 

Reprisals prohibited 89 36 

Retained personnel 67, 68, 230, 232 28, 29, 90, 

92 

Rights protected (see this title — Treatment) 

Screening camps 100 40 

Security measures 99 40 

Segregation 92 37 

Sick and wounded (see this title — Wounded and sick) 

Special agreements concerning 86 35 

Spies, (See Espionage, Sabotage, and Treason.) 

Summary execution forbidden 99 40 

Supervision by protecting powers (see this title — Protecting 
powers). 

Transactions with enemy prohibited 94 38 

Transfers 122-124 47 

Circumstances precluding 123 47 

Conditions _ _ 122 47 

Procedure.. 124 47 

Transit camps 100 40 

Treatment: 

General rights. 84-92 34 

Non-renunciation 87 35 

Equality of treatment ' 92 37 

Officers 120 46 

Non-officers 121 46 

Responsibility 88 36 

Trial: (see this title — Judicial proceedings; Punishment.) 

Uniform, necessity for recognition as belligerent 74 31 

Violence and intimidation prohibited _ 89 36 

Visitation and supervision of camps by protecting powers 

(see this title — Protecting Powers.) 
Voluntary aid societies for (See Aid Societies.) 

Volunteer corps 61, 64, 74 25, 27, 31 

Weapons to be used against prisoners of war 118 46 

Wills.. 153, 201 59, 78 

Women as prisoners of war, special mention; 

Protection generally 90, 92, 125, 184 36, 37, 48, 

71 

Punishments- 164,173,184 64,67,71 

Quarters— - ... 101, 106, 173, 184 40, 42, 67, 

71 

Work (See Labor.) 

Wounded and sick: 

Evacuation 95 39 

Medical examination 107, 108, 131, 191, 192 42, 43, 50, 

74 

Neutral countries, accomodation 188 73 

Protection 211,217 84, 85 

Repatriation 188, 189, 193, 195 73, 75 



227 



Paragraph Page 

Prisoners of war — Continued 

Sentenced prisoners 194 75 

Special agreements with respect to 86, 212 35, 84 

Status as prisoners 66 28 

Transfers... 123 47 

Prisoners of War Information Bureau _ 203 79 

Prohibited Acts: (see also Weapons) 

Assassination and outlawery 31 17 

Bombardment of undefended places 39, 40 19 

Civilians, certain acts towards 271-273 107 

Commencing hostilities without declaration of war 20 15 

Compelling enemy to participate in hostilities against own 

country - 32 17 

Confiscation of enemy property (See Property.) 
Destruction of: 

Historical and educational institutions „„____ 57 24 

Property , 58 24 

Submarine cables (see this title — Submarine cables) 411 153 

Devastation (see also this title — Destruction 41, 56 19, 23 

Flags and insignia, improper use of (see also Red Cross).. 52-55 23 

Geneva Convention emblem, improper use 55 23 

Germ Warfare 37, 38 18 

Guides, impressment 270 107 

Hostages, taking 273 107 

Injury of enemy after surrender or by prohibited means 29, 33 17 

Ill-treatment of peaceful populations 11 9 

Paratroopers, firing on , 30 17 

Perfidy (see this title — Treachery.) 

Pillage of civilians prohibited ■ 272 107 

Poison (See Weapons.) 
Prisoners of war: 

Discriminating treatment... 92 37 

Inhuman treatment 89 36 

Killing or wounding 85 35 

Status, non-renunciation 87 35 

Punishment, collective punishment forbidden 163,272,448 63,107, 

164 

Quarters, refusal 28 17 

Red Cross emblem, improper use (See Red Cross.) 

Reprisals 214 84 

Revengeful acts 497 177 

Safeguard violations 457 166 

Submarine cables, destruction of 411 153 

Surrendered personnel, killing or wounding 29 17 

Torture and other inhuman treatment... 85 35 

Treachery or perfidy 50 22 

War crimes, acts included (See War crimes.) 
Weapons, certain weapons prohibited (See Weapons.) 

Wounded and sick, ill treatment 216, 502 85, 179 

Property: 

Bombardment (See Bombardment.) 

Booty of war 59 24 

Captured 59, 395, 396 24, 150 



228 



Paragraph Page 

Pr operty — Continued 



Charitable.. _ 


45,46,57,405 21,24, 125 


Combat, treatment during . . . 


56-59 


23 


Confiscation or seizure (tee alto this title — Requisitions; 




Pillage) 58, 393, 395, 396, 406, 409, 410 


24, 148, 






150, 152, 






153 


Control by occupying power 


399 


150 


Cultural 


45, 46, 57, 405 21, 24, 152 


Destruction or Devastation 56, 58, 393, 410,476 


23, 24, 






148, 153, 






171 




431 


158 




321 


126 


Military . _ 


401,404 


151 




405 


152 




47, 272, 397 


21, 107, 
150 


Prisoner of war, property 


59,94 


24, 38 




398 


150 


Private property: 








406 


152 


Destruction 


393,410 


148, 153 




394 


149 


Immovable requisition or seizure 


407 


152 




408,410 


152, 153 


Movable . . _ 


408-410 


152 


Prohibited acts with regard to («ee alto Prohibited 






406 


152 


Realty 


407 


152 


Seizure 


408-410 


152 


Public property: 






Administration by Occupying Power. 


400 


151 


Disposition by Occupying Power. 


402 


151 


Distinguished from private property 


394 


149 


Military use 


401,404 


151 




403,404 


151 




400 


151 




400-404 


151 


Railway equipment (See Railway equipment.) 






Religious, charitable, cultural, etc.. 


45, 46, 57, 405 21, 24, 152 


Requisitions. 


407, 412-417 


152, 153 




399 


150 


Seizure (see this title — Confiscation.) 






State property (tee thit title — Public property,) 








411 


153 


Surrender, disposition of property. - - 


475,476 


170, 171 




39 


19 


tected persons: (See alto Aliens; Civilians; Internees) 246-350 


97 




270 


108 




272 


107 




_ 247 


98 




248 


99 



229 



PurajropA Page 

Protected persons — Continued 

Neutrals 247 98 

Reestablishment 249 99 

Rights, non-renunciation 251 100 

Special agreements _ 250 100 

Treatment, responsibilities 268 106 

Protecting Powers, application to and visits by 269, 350, 446 107, 136, 

163 

Protecting Powers 15-19 12 

Arbitration and conciliation procedures 19 14 

Complaints from: 

Internees 308 121 

Prisoners of war 154,157 60,61 

Defined. ... 15-19 12 

Failure to function, remedies 18 13 

Functions - - 15-19 12 

Generally - - — 16 12 

International Red Cross Committees, no obstacle to 

functioning 17 13 

Notification with respect to: 

Internees - 312,336,338 1 22, 1 3 1 , 

132 

Prisoners of war 145, 157, 176-177, 180, 181 55, 61, 68, 

69, 70 

Protected persons 183, 202, 382, 441, 445 71, 79, 

144, 161, 
163 

Substitutes for 18 13 

Supervision of prisoners of war 207 82 

Trials, representatives at 181, 444 70, 162 

Visitations by ... 207,446 82,163 

Provost courts, jurisdiction 13 10 

Punishment of: 

Inhabitants of occupied territory. (See Occupied ter- 
ritory.) 

Prisoners of war, (See Prisoners, of war.) 

Spies. (See under Espionage, Sabotage, and Treason.) 

War criminals. (See War crimes.) 

Purpose of manual 1 3 

Quarters. (See also Internees; Prisoners of war.) 

Refusal 28 17 

Radios: 

In neutral territory 528-531 187 

In occupied territory 377 144 

Railway equipment: 

Neutrality rules concerning 552 192 

Rank (See Prisoners of war see also Officers) 

Recapture (See Prisoners of war.) 

Recruitment: 

Neutral territory 522 186 

Occupied territory 418 154 

Red Crescent (see also Red Cross — emblem) 238, 264 95, 105 



230 



Paragraph Pove 

Red Cross (see alto Aid Societies; Medical personnel; Medical 
units-) 

American National Red Cross 228 90 

Emblem . 238-245 05 

Auxiliary personnel, use 241 96 

Form — 238 95 

Hospitals and other medical units and establishments; 

marking. 242, 257, 266 96, 102 

106 

Improper use, prohibited 55, 244, 245 23, 66, 97 

Medical personnel, use... 240, 259 95, 103 

Peacetime use. 244, 24 5 96, 97 

Religious personnel, use 240 95 

Transports, land, sea, and air 260, 261 104 

United States reservations to 1949 Geneva Conven- 
tion 245 97 

Family news, facilitation 264 105 

International Committee of Red Cross activities. 17-19, 148, 149 13, 57 
Hospital Zones, good offices for establishment. 204, 224, 253 80, 89, 101 

Prisoners' representatives, right to consult with 155, 157 60, 61 

Purpose... 204,347 80,135 

Relief Shipments of Central Agency (See Relief 

shipments.).- 204,347 80,135 

Special status to be given recognition 206, 349 81, 136 

Substitute for Protecting Power (see also Protecting 

Powers).. 18 13 

Visits, with respect to: 

Prisoners of war. 206, 207 81, 82 

Protected persons 350,446 136,163 

National Red Cross societies, status of personnel 69 30 

Prisoners of war status of medical personnel.. 69 30 

Protected Persons, right to complain 269 107 

Relief activities 148, 149, 151, 315, 316, 318, 388, 390, 392 57, 58, 

123, 124, 
125, 147, 
148 

Red Lion and Sun (see aho Red Cross — emblem) 238, 264 95, 105 

Red Shield of David (see aho Red Cross — emblem) 238, 264 95, 105 

Refugees 283 111 

Relief shipments (see aho Civilians; Internees) 148-151-315 57, 123 

Relief Societies (See Aid Societies; Red Cross.) 
Religion: 

Religious activities and freedoms (tee under Aliens; Ci- 
vilians; Internees; Prisoners of war; and Occupied 
territory.) 

Religious buildings, protection 45-47, 405 21, 152 

Religious personnel (see aho Chaplains.) 

Capture, retention or return by an enemy 111,230-232 44,90 

Emblem of protection. 240 95 

Security measures with respect to 231 91 

Remedies Available for Violation of International Law 495-611 176 

Repatriation (See Occupied territory ; Prisoners of war, Wounded 
and sick.) 



231 



Paragraph Paqt 

Representatives of: 

Belligerents (See Parlementaries.) 
Internees (See Internees.) 

Neutral states (See Neutral Powers — diplomatic agents.) 
Prisoners of war (See Prisoners of war.) 
Red Cross (See Red Cross.) 

Reprisals 495,497 176,177 

Requisitions (See occupied territory.) 

Coercion, use of 417 154 

Compensation 416 154 

Enforcement 417 154 

Food and medical supplies 413-416 154 

Hospitals. 414-416 154 

Labor and other services 418^424 154 

Method of requisitioning -. 412,415 153,154 

Property . 412 153 

Reservations to 1949 Geneva Convention _ 245 97 

Retained Personnel, medical and spiritual religious personnel 

67, 68, 230-232 28, 29, 90 

Retaliation (See Reprisals.) 

Revengeful acts prohibited 497 177 

Rewards for captured or killed enemy 31 17 

Rockets, use 34 18 

Rules of War (See Laws of War.) 

Ruses of war - -- 50-55 22 

Sabotage (see under Espionage, Sabotage, and Treason) 

Safe-conducts (see also Passports, military) 454-456 165 

Distinguished from passports 455-456 166 

Safety Zones (see also Hospital zones; Neutralized zones) 253 101 

Safeguards 454, 457 165, 166 

Sanitation: 

Internees 292 113 

Prisoner of war camps 106 42 

Science, buildings devoted to, protection 45, 46 21 

Security measures (See Aliens; Civilians; Occupied territory; 

Prisoners of war; Property; Religion — religious personnel-.) 
Segregation (See Prisoners of war, see also Women) 

Shipments to prisoners of war 148 57 

Relief shipments (see under Relief shipments) 

Shipwrecked belligerents, detention by neutrals 547 191 

Sick and wounded (See Wounded and sick.) 
Sieges (See Besieged places.) 

Signs, to distinguish protected buildings, etc 45, 46 21 

Sources of law 4 4 

Special agreements with respect to: 

Civilians, protection 250 100 

Hospital and safety zones..- -- 224, 253 89, 101 

Neutralized zones 254 101 

Prisoners of war.. _ 86 35 

Wounded and sick. ._ 212 84 

Spies (See Espionage, Sabotage, and Treason.) 

Stratagems (see also Prohibited Acts) _ 48-55 22 

Subjugation, distinguished from occupation 

(see also Puppet governments) 353 138 



232 



Paragraph Pafft 

Submarine cables 411 153 

Subordinates, responsibility for acta 501 178 

Summary executions (See Prisoners of war.) 

Superior orders, no deference to war crimes. 509 182 

Supplies, requisition (See Requisitions, above.) 

Surrender (see alto Capitulation; White flag) 470, 478 169, 172 

Surrendered places 41 19 

Suspension of arms (see also Armistice) 485 173 

Taxes (»ee Occupied territory — taxes.) 

Telegraph and telephone: 

In neutral territory _ 528-531 187 

In occupied territory 377 144 

Torture, forbidden (See Civilians; Prisoners of war.) 

Transfers (See Internees; Prisoners of war and occupied terri- 
tory.) 

Transit Prisoner of War Camps (See Prisoners of war.) 
Transportation: 

In occupied territory 378 144 

Wounded and sick 260-261 104 

Travel, occupied territory i 454^456 165 

Treachery, forbidden 50, 493 22, 175 

Treason (See Espionage, Sabotage, and Treason) 
Treaties, generally (see also Geneva Conventions, Hague Con- 
ventions) 4, 5, 7 4,6 

Trials (See Prisoners of war; Occupied territory; War crimes.) 
Truce (See Armistice.) 

Undefended places, attacks or bombardment .... 39,40,45,46 19,21 

Uniform, necessity for status as belligerent 74 31 

Uniform of enemy: 

Improper use 52 23 

Proper use _ 54 23 

United Nations 513 15,184 

United States Reservations to 1949 Geneva Conventions 245 97 

Universal Postal Conventions 150 58 

Unwritten rules of land warfare ._ 4, 6-9, 11 4, 6, 9 

Violations of the laws of war («ee also War crimes.) 495-497 176 

Volunteer aid societies (See Aid Societies; see also Red Cross) 

Volunteer corps of belligerents 61,64,74 25,27,31 

Volunteers to care for wounded and sick 219 87 

War: 

Declaration 9, 20, 21, 23, 24 8, 15, 16 

Definition _ 8 7 

Laws of (See Laws of war.) 

War crimes - 495, 498-511 176, 178 

Acts whi ch constitute - .. 494, 499, 502, 504 1 75, 1 78, 

179, 180 

Armistice, violation 494 175 

Attempts.. 500 178 

Collective punishment (see this tide — Punishment.) 

Complicity ,.. 500 178 

Conspiracy 500 178 



233 



Paragraph Post 

Death penalty (see this title — Punishment.) 

Defenses 509-511 182 

Definition (see also this title — Acts which constitute.),. 499 178 

Execution, 'without trial, forbidden. 504 180 

Geneva conventions, grave breaches 502, 503, 506 179, 181 

Government officials 501,510 178,183 

Hostages, taking of 502 179 

Incitement 500 178 

Individual responsibility 498 178 

International law, violations - 498 178 

Jurisdiction 13, 505, 507 10, 180, 

132 

Laws applicable 505,507 180,182 

Mitigation because of superior orders 509 182 

National law no defense 511 183 

Officials of the government 501, 510 178, 183 

Orders of superiors 509 182 

Prisoners of war, liability 161, 163 63 

Punishment: 

Amount 508 182 

Collective punishment prohibited 508 182 

Corporal punishment prohibited 508 182 

Death penalty 508 182 

Responsibilities 506 181 

Remedial action other than punishment. 495 176 

Subordinates, responsibility for acts 501 178 

Superior officers, responsibility for acts of subordinates.. 501 178 

Superior orders 509 182 

Suppression 506 181 

Trials 163,505,507 63,180, 



182 

War. Criminals (See War crimes.) 

Warfare (See Hostilities; Bacteriological warfare.) 

War treason (See Espionage, sabotage, and treason). 

Weapons: 

Atomic 35 18 

Bullets, certain types prohibited 34 18 

Causing unnecessary injury, forbidden 34 18 

Gases, chemicals and bacteriological warfare 38 18 

Grenades, use authorized 34 18 

Medical units and personnel, authority to use 223 83 

Poisons __ 37 18 

Prisoners of war, use against 118 46 

Rockets 34 18 

Suspension of arms ._ 485 173 

Use of fire. 36 18 

White Flag, use of 53, 458, 460, 467, 504 23, 167, 

168, 130 

Wills: 

Internees... 320, 336 126, 131 

Prisoners of war 201 78 



Women (see under Aliens; Internees; Prisoners of war and 
occupied territory). 



234 



Paragraph Past 
Workers {See Internees — labor; Occupied territory; labor; 
Prisoners of war — labor) . 

Wounded and sick {see also Prisoners of war; Red Cross) 208-245 83 

Abandoned, medical personnel to be left with _ 215 84 

American National Red Cross {see under Red Cross.) 

Arm and ammunition 223 88 

Bombardments and sieges, spared in. 45, 209, 220, 222-224 21, 83, 

87, 88 

Captured, status as prisoners of war 208 83 

Care and treatment 215, 216, 219 84, 87 

Casualties, search and removal 216 85 

Civilians {See Civilians — wounded and sick.) 

Coastal rescue craft 209 83 

Convoys 539-544 189 

Death 236-237,260,261 93,104 

Defense (see this title— Protection 217,218 85,86 

Detention in neutral territory. 542-544 190 

Emblems, use 238-245 95 

Evacuation _. _ 256 102 

Examination by medical commissions 191, 192 74 

Exchange of wounded and sick 216 85 

Geneva Conventions, execution of 214 84 

Graves Registration Service 218 86 

Hospitals (See Medical units.) 

Hospital ships 209 83 

Hospital zones 224 89 

Humane treatment 215, 216 84, 85 

Identification 217 85 

Ill-treatment 216 85 

Information to be exchanged 217 85 

Inhabitants may be asked to care for 219 87 

Internment in neutral state 542 190 

Medical personnel (See Medical personnel.) 
Medical units (See Medical units.) 

Money and personal effects 217 85 

Neutral territory: 

Accommodation 188,189,546 73,191 

Detention 542-544 190 

Entrance into, rules governing 539, 541, 544 189, 190 

Internment 542 190 

Neutral ports of entry 544 190 

Passage through— 539-542 189 

Neutral Powers, duties toward (see also this title — Neutral 

territory.) 210,541 83,190 

Neutral ships, transportation on 544 190 

Personal effects 217 85 

Prisoners of War (See Prisoners of war — wounded and 
sick.) 

Protected persons 208 83 

Protection. 211,215 84 

Records regarding Red Cross (See Red Cross.) 217 85 

Repatriation.. 188,189,193,195 73,75 

Reprisals prohibited 213 84 

Rescue craft 209 83 



235 



PamgrapH Pagt 

Defense — Continued 

Rights, nop-renunciation _i 213 84 

Robbery and ill-treatment, protection from 215, 216 84, 85 

Shipwrecked or at sea 209 83 

Special agreements with respect to 212 84 

Transfers _ 123 47 

Transportation, vehicles used. _ 236-237 93 

Voluntary care may be requested 219 87 

Weapons taken from 223 88 

[AG 385 (10 May 56)] 



! 

By Order of Wilber M. Brucker, Secretary of the Army : 

MAXWELL D. TAYLOR, 

General, United States Army, 
Official: Chief of Staff. 

JOHN A. KLEIN, 
Major General, United States Army, 
The Adjutant General. 

Distribution : 
Active-Army: 

Gen Staff, DA (5) 
SS, DA (2) except TJAG (300) 
Tec Svc, DA (5) 
Admin & Tec Svc Bd (1) 
Hq CON ARC (15) 
CON ARC Bd (1) 
Army AA Comd (5) 
OS Maj Comd (50) 
OS Base Comd (10) 
Log Comd (10) 
MDW (15) 
Corps (5) 
DIv (10) 
Brig (5) 
Regt/Gp (5) 

Bn (3) except Sep Bn (5) 

Co (2) 

Ft.& Cp (8) 

USMA (50) 

Gen & Br Svc Sen (10) 

PMST (2) 

Gen Depots (3) 
NO: State AG (3). 
USAR: None. 

For explanation of abbreviations used, see SR 320-50-1. 



236 



Sup Sec, Gen Depots (2) 

Depots (2) 

AH (5) 

Tng Cen (10) 

Pers Cen (5) 

Reception Sta (3) 

Trans Terminal Comd (10) 

PG (3) 

Arsenals (1) 

DB (5) 

Cruit DIst (1) 

Crult Main Sta (1) 

Dlsp (1) 

FOUSA (1) 

DIv Engr (1) 

Engr DIst (2) 

Mil Dlst (2) 

Proc DIst (1) 

MAAG (2) 

Mil Msn (1) 

ARMA (1) 



* 11,5, GOVERNMENT PRJNTI NG OFFICE : IMS O— 4*4324